His Friend Too
by arbailey
Summary: Pre-Series. When Veronica catches her best friend with an aging action star, everything falls apart...
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

**TITLE: His Friend Too****  
><strong>**AUTHOR: arbailey****  
><strong>**WORD COUNT: 2,303****  
><strong>**RATING: PG-13 for language****  
><strong>**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.****  
><strong>**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline****  
><strong>**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

A/N: This story is currently unbeta'd, and all errors my own. That being said, anyone interested in beta-ing, please feel free to PM me!

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

Veronica taps her fingers impatiently against the steering wheel of her gently used LeBaron – a completely unexpected birthday present. She clenches her jaw and mutters a startlingly encyclopedic string of curse words as she glares balefully at the long lines of traffic leading out of the Neptune High parking lot. She was supposed to be meeting Lilly _right now_. What if the delay caused the capricious blonde to change her mind? It had been like pulling teeth to get Lilly to answer any of her questions on Duncan's sudden and inexplicable rejection. First Lilly had been flippant and casual, then silent and evasive, but nowhere along the line had she suggested she'd give an inch on explaining her brother's motives.

But then, out of the blue, Lilly had volunteered to tell Veronica everything. She'd said it with the sort of solemn sincerity that was almost entirely foreign to Neptune's leading party girl, and Veronica was thrown by the sudden reversal, worried about the severity of a secret that could make even Lilly treat it seriously. And then Lilly had said that the secret was too big to be told here, that she and Veronica would need a serious sit-down conversation, and wouldn't it be better to have that conversation at Logan's where there was less chance of Duncan suddenly appearing, and anyway if Veronica wanted to know why Duncan freaked that's where Lilly would be, god just be there okay? This was much more in character, and Veronica relaxed.

But now, sitting in traffic, she's panicking again. Friday traffic is the worst, as plans are made and remade while students loiter in the parking lot and generally prevent Veronica from ever learning what the hell happened to her previously perfect life. Because Lilly doesn't like to be kept waiting, and she's excused an hour early for the tennis lessons she is no longer taking after Celeste caught her and the instructor deep in the throes of a 'double fault'. If Veronica can't make it to the Echolls place in the next twenty minutes, she can forget about ever knowing the reason why her erstwhile boyfriend dumped her.

Distracted out of her reverie by a loud honk, Veronica looks up to see a startlingly yellow SUV blocking the exit of the parking lot and giving her a clear shot out of this horrible traffic. Veronica smiles and nods to Logan who rolls his eyes and waves her along with a hurrying gesture. Of course, he's not actually legal in that monstrosity without a licensed driver in the passenger seat, but who's going to pull over the son of Neptune's one and only Hollywood connection? Sheriff Mars takes a hardline on law-breaking, but the deputies know very well what side their bread is buttered on. Lamb has made pulling over 09er kids into a small, cash-only side business and has even developed a loyalty card of sorts that works as a get-out-of-moving-violations-free program.

She hasn't spoken to Logan in a couple days. He is being weird, undoubtedly in solidarity with Duncan, but she misses her friend. This small olive branch does more to lift her spirits than anything else, even Lilly's promise to spill. Shaken out of her reverie by another terse honk, Veronica puts the pedal down and screams out of the parking lot, leaving tracks of burned rubber behind. She's got fifteen minutes to make it into the hallowed confines of the 90909 district. She's not running lights or signs, technically, but she is making the California Stop an art form on this particular trip. Bending traffic rules for 09er kids is one thing; bending rules for the sheriff's daughter is entirely different. It's strictly verboten, and if she gets caught, she'll be grounded until Shelly Pomeroy's winter break bash.

But her journey is blessedly free of law enforcement of any type. She turns quickly into the long drive of Logan's home and pulls up along the keypad. She punches in the code she had memorized forever ago and drums anxiously on the steering wheel. The ornate metal gates swing slowly inward and she powers towards the house. In seconds, she is parked and dashing across the gravel drive to the house. Breathing heavily, she stops to ring the doorbell because she's in a hurry, not a barbarian, and is greeted by the warm smile of Mrs. Navarro.

"Buenos dias, Miss Veronica," Mrs. Navarro beams, "Miss Lilly is waiting for you in the pool house." Veronica smiles pleasantly, and quickly, at the housekeeper and dashes towards the back patio, throwing out a brief, "Thanks Mrs. Navarro!" Veronica is hampered by her struggles with the heavy glass door, and she slows to a trot as she begins to round the corner.

She hears the unmistakable sound of panting and groaning, and she is suddenly furious. Lilly and Logan, going at it, ad nauseum. This whole thing had been yet another round in Lilly's favorite game, Shock Veronica! Was this some sort of veiled message? Was this why Duncan had dumped her? Because she wouldn't put out? Well, Veronica refuses to be cowed by Lilly's worldlier-than-thou bullshit today. Lilly is going to tell her what exactly happened with Duncan, even if she has to walk in on her two closest friends. She strides purposefully towards the pair, content to ruin the afterglow.

Veronica spies them as she rounds the corner, her nerve slightly failing her. This is not the first time she's seen people having sex, as an earlier round of Shock Veronica had involved a mortifying porn viewing, but this is certainly the first time she has been up close to the action, so to speak. Lilly is wearing a barely sufficient bikini Veronica had advised she not buy and straddling Logan on one of those creaky but expensive teak loungers that Lynn has stationed around the pool. She is completely lost to the world with her eyes tightly shut and her mouth open in abandon. Logan's hands steady her hips as she bounces up and down lewdly. Lilly's sounds of ecstasy are getting cartoonishly loud, but Veronica continues forward, unswayed. She will have her answers even if it means weathering eternal embarrassment.

It's not until she is within twenty-five feet that she notices how long Logan's hair is getting. And also, how did Logan- blocking traffic for her as he did- manage to reach the house before her? When he groans, it is a noise she's heard before in Dolby digital surround sound. Of course, that time, Aaron Echolls had been hanging precariously from a mountain ledge instead of having sex with his son's jailbait girlfriend.

Veronica is frozen in shock, absolutely incapable of movement, until she hears the soft thump of a car door shutting and a familiar whistling coming around the side of the house. Instantly she turns and runs toward the sound, missing the tight grin and narrowed eyes of Lilly Kane as they follow her in her flight.

Veronica runs right into Logan, her head down and her forearms braced against his chest, as she tries to propel him backwards. Logan steps back, startled, but he has well over fifty pounds on the blonde so her attempts at moving him are not bearing any real fruit. Things have been weird between them since Duncan's sudden defection. Logan asked Duncan why, of course, but Duncan just shook his head sadly. Logan didn't ask again. Theirs wasn't the sort of friendship where they pried. He'd been the gratefully beneficiary of Duncan's discretion on more than one occasion. The least he could do was return the favor.

Whatever she'd done, it must have been bad. Duncan was loyal. Stupidly, stubbornly, unrepentantly loyal, and it would have to be really, really terrible before he'd be willing to turn his back on Veronica. And Logan was prepared to take Duncan's word on this sort of stuff. But then he'd seen Lilly whispering to Veronica at lunch, and the flash of sudden desperate hope in her face had made it clear what they were discussing. He'd seen her emphatically agree to whatever Lilly asked. Was Veronica just as clueless as everyone else to Duncan's abrupt change of heart? In any event, when he'd seen her panic in the parking lot, he'd been moved to pity. He'd been on the wrong end of broken promises with the Lady Kane before, and he decided he couldn't allow the addition of Lilly's anger to Veronica's list of woes.

She'd peeled off like a demon as he cheerfully flipped off the angry drivers behind him. It had been his good deed for the day. But now she was here, having a tiny psychotic episode, and he doesn't know what to do. "Veronica? What the hell?" he queries as he pushes her into an upright position. She won't meet his eyes, but she throws her shoulder into it and just keeps whispering "Go, go, go…" over and over again.

"Oh come on, Veronica," says a smug Lilly as she rounds the corner, "It's not that big of a…" Her eyes get huge and her jaw goes slack as she suddenly comes face-to-face with the sight of Veronica doing her level best to steamroll Logan. Logan might have had a vague idea that Veronica and Lilly were going to use his home as conference space, but the whole situation has the boy confused. "Lilly?" he asks, hoping that will cover all the bases. And it is at that exact moment that Logan hears someone else call his girlfriend's name, and it all slips into place.

"Lilly? Baby?" calls Aaron, sounding sated and drowsy from his lounger, "Get me a drink, will ya? I've still gotta pack and you've killed me here…" Logan steps backs, shocked, and this sudden change in the immovable object has Veronica stumbling against him. Logan catches her unthinkingly, his eyes still glued to the other blonde who is looking at him with a mixture of triumph and dread, tugging at the edges of her bathing suit as she tries to get herself looking half decent.

Logan shoves Veronica back onto her own feet and turns on his heel, hell bent on escaping this nightmare. Veronica races after Logan, but his legs are longer and he has adrenaline on his side. "Logan! LOGAN!" Veronica shouts at her friend as he jumps into his illegal vehicle and screams away. She scrambles into her Le Baron and follows him down the long drive without a look back. Lilly just watches them go, her hands tight on her hips as her long fingernails cut tiny red crescents into the pale flesh there.

Veronica is going as fast as she dares, but she's no match for Logan and his decidedly more reckless driving style. He has outpaced her within two lights, and she begins driving aimlessly, trying to guess where he might go to self-destruct, and calling his cell phone hopelessly. She drives by and checks the Casablancas place, the Seven Veils, and the only liquor store in town that routinely sells to minors, but she strikes out each time. She's starting to think maybe he's gone to the Kane house- which is a shame, because she definitely can't follow him there- and she's considering giving up the search. She is placing a third call, which goes straight to voicemail, when she spots the XTerra tucked in the lot at Dog Beach.

This isn't Logan's beach. This isn't even Logan's part of town. She's been coming here with Backup- her new puppy, another sweet sixteen present- but this isn't really her part of town either. She pulls up beside the bright yellow SUV and parks. He's sitting down in the lee of a small dune with his knees drawn up maybe a quarter of a mile up the beach. It takes her awhile to get to him, and her shoes are half full of sand by the time she does. She plops down next to him, both of them staring out at the ocean, and she realizes the sun is going down. She'd been pretty focused on finding him, but now that she has, she has no idea what to say.

"How long were you two planning that little surprise?" Logan asks tightly, picking up a handful of sand and watching it sift through his fingers. Veronica's mouth falls open. "You can't be serious! You can't possibly believe I knew about this and didn't tell you!" Logan shrugs, non-commitally. "She's your best friend; you'd do anything for her." He cast her a sideways glance. "What did you do to Duncan, anyway?" Veronica chokes on that little injustice, but Logan ignores her. "Hell, maybe you're more like Lilly than I thought." Veronica's jaw tightens, but she tries to remain patient. "Come on Logan, you know it's not like that. What are we gonna do?" Logan throws his handful of sand down, "You can do whatever you want, Mars. Just do it a long ways away from me. Now, I'm gonna go get magnificently drunk," said Logan, bitingly cheerful, as he jumps up and brushes himself off. He stalks away, throws open the door to the XTerra, and proceeds to speed off.

Magnificently drunk? Veronica sighs to herself. She'd forgotten all about it. His parents are heading to Nepal tonight, and it's time for the annual bash. And as much as he clearly doesn't want her there, Logan is apt to get himself into serious trouble if he's allowed to drink himself into a pleasantly forgetful stupor. He needs a voice of reason or, at the very least, a designated decoy. And maybe after a little alcohol, Logan will be more willing to listen and less belligerent. Veronica snorts at her own vivid imagination, but all the same stands and heads back to her car. So what if her three best friends now inexplicably hate her? It's still her job to take care of them.

A/N: I thought I'd wait to the end to say this in hopes of allaying any apparent neediness: This is my first fan fic. With that in mind, any and all reviews and concrit would be most deeply appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2: It's My Party

**TITLE: His Friend Too****  
><strong>**AUTHOR: arbailey****  
><strong>**WORD COUNT: 2,672 this chapter****  
><strong>**RATING: PG-13 for language****  
><strong>**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.****  
><strong>**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline****  
><strong>**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

A/N 1: This story is currently unbeta'd, and all errors my own. That being said, anyone interested in beta-ing, please feel free to PM me!

A/N 2: I'd forgotten that the infamous Yolanda kiss was actually at Logan's own party, which is the setting for this chapter. I've minutely modified the 1st chapter to correct this error. Mea culpa!

Chapter Two: It's My Party…

Veronica makes it back to her house, but everything is silent and dark. According to a note prominently displayed on the kitchen counter, Dad is working late at the station and Mom has a migraine, so silence would be vastly appreciated. Veronica sighs deeply. Her mother's migraines are a newish development and seemed to coincide with a sudden and severe uptick in her drinking.

Her dad thinks she doesn't know about her mother's drinking and her father's unnecessarily late nights at the office. This is surprisingly naïve of the sheriff. Hasn't he raised her to pay attention to details, to notice when things are off? Still, it's easier to pretend. She has no desire to share the turmoil of her own private life with her parents, and she is willing to afford them the same courtesy.

Backup wiggles impatiently, his whole back half in motion, and barks to interrupt her reverie. Veronica smiles fondly down at the little pitbull and grabs his leash. Some individuals have very simple needs, and it would be a shame to deny him his little joys. Ostensibly the dog was to teach her responsibility, but there aren't many sixteen year olds more responsible than Veronica. In fact, what Backup actually provides is unconditional, uncomplicated affection. Over the last week, the puppy has proved invaluable.

When she gets back to the house, she considers having ice cream for dinner, but she needs her dad to trust her judgment tonight. Pinning her argument on the fact that she needs to go to a party to rescue Logan probably won't fly, but it can't but help to be on her best behavior. There is no reason to stack the deck against herself.

She's just putting the finishing touches on a grilled cheese sandwich when her dad arrives home, and she gives him a kiss on the cheek, like they're living in a sitcom from the fifties. He's instantly suspicious, and she worries she may have slightly overplayed her hand. "Where's your mother," Keith asks, gently kicking the recycling bin which tinkles with the music of empty glass bottles. "Another migraine," says Veronica, her voice softly sympathetic. Keith nods curtly but says nothing.

"So, there's a party tonight," drawls Veronica, wheedlingly. "And you want to go? Who am I to deny the dear girl anything?" says Keith taking a bite of his sandwich and giving her a winning smile before suddenly stopping mid chew, "Wait, I just remembered. I'm your father. I can deny you anything I please." Veronica crosses her arms over her chest, "But seriously, folks." Keith considers her for a long moment, "This party. Will there be alcohol and poorly supervised young men?" Veronica nods in the affirmative, "Yes. And yes. But that doesn't matter because you've taught me well. And I'll take my taser."

What had at first seemed like an entirely random grouping of presents had in fact turned out to be a carefully selected defense package. Unflashy used black convertible for surveillance and quick getaways: check. Pitbull puppy for muscle: check. Taser for general tasering purposes: check. Veronica was overly prepared for dealing with unsocial behavior from any local ne'er-do-well, and Keith took great comfort in this. While she might appear sweet, pretty, and naïve, she is actually sweet, pretty, naïve, and packing 100,000 volts.

"Veronica," Keith begins, weary, but his daughter preempts his refusal. "Logan had a bad day. A really, really bad day, and now he is at home attempting to replace all the liquid in his body with refined potato spirits. He needs a friend." Keith leans back in his chair, "And is Duncan going to be at this party?" Keith queries. Veronica's face blanches, and it is clear she hadn't really considered this fact, but she covers, "I guess."

Keith has been dealing with a daughter trapped in the slough of despond for the better part of the last two weeks, so anything that has distracted her- even the always difficult Echolls boy- is a welcome respite from her moping. And she is sixteen. He'll have to start letting go at some point. He has investigated the cost of giant hamster balls, and they are prohibitively expensive on the salary of a county official. Keith gives her one more long look, before he throws up his shoulders in a shrug, "Ok. Have a nice time at your party. And if you run out of polite cocktail conversation, just remind everyone you know the sheriff! Backup and I will be here, pining for your return." Veronica grins and sprints up stairs to her room.

After everything, Veronica doesn't make it to Logan's party until nearly nine. He has a three hour head start on her, so she is fairly sure she'll find him expertly soused. She's getting dismissive glances from the 09ers, which is a new and unpleasant experience. She'd been routinely ignored as Lilly's shadow, but she'd never actually noticed how much they disliked her. She had believed her friendships were genuine, but that had been foolish. Nothing about the 90909 district is genuine.

Veronica stands uncertainly, twisting her hands together and subconsciously smoothing her hands over the full skirt of her sundress. It's white and virginal, and Lilly told her specifically never to wear it, but she's not really in the mood to listen to Lilly tonight. Technically, she is invited to this party. But of course, that was as Duncan's plus one and Logan's close friend. Given her rapidly shifting social position, Veronica is fairly certain she'll be unwelcome, more so if Logan has been expounding on his ludicrous theory that she was in on Lilly's deception.

Veronica grabs a can of soda from a galvanized tub of ice and looks for Logan in the watery blue light thrown out by the pool. Veronica had never been impressed by the wealth and grandeur of her rich friends, but as she begins to make a mental checklist of all the secluded corners where Logan might be tucked away, she really begins to hate the ostentatious place. If he doesn't want to be found, he could be hiding anywhere. This is disheartening, because she isn't really planning to make a night of this.

As she scans the pool deck her gaze alights on Duncan, his arm wrapped around the waist of a girl she doesn't know, some impressionable freshman. Duncan is whispering in the girl's ear, something insipidly charming obviously, because the girl blushes prettily. Veronica can feel an unpleasant burn rising in the back of her throat and turns from the scene. She feels a tap on her shoulder and turns to a smiling Meg Manning. Finally, a friendly face. Veronica breaks out in a grateful smile. "Veronica!" says Meg, surprised. "I didn't think you'd be here!"

Veronica's smile dims, and Meg rushes to explain. "I only meant that it's a pleasant surprise!" Meg is trying to remain upbeat, but she feels compelled to warn her friend. "It's just with Duncan, and then the new stuff with Lilly and Logan…" "New stuff?" Veronica parrots back, her voice clipped. She frankly hadn't expected news to travel quite so quickly, but given her cool reception, this revelation isn't exactly a shock. "Shelly says she talked to Lilly, that Lilly wasn't coming tonight because she didn't want to deal with you. She said that you were the reason Logan and she broke up this time, "Meg says it with an incredulous smile, dismissing the silly rumor, but she falters when Veronica simply shakes her head tiredly.

Dick sees this exchange from his position by the bar, watching the curled lips of the other party guests as they regard Veronica with distaste. Madison is grinning smugly, punctuating her conversation with Carrie and Caitlin with disdainful flicks of her head towards Veronica. He doesn't really know why Madison hates Veronica, but she is the only consistent pussy he can count on getting, so hating the people she hates and taunting the poor souls she taunts is an extraordinarily small price to pay for semi-regular sex. Madison had always put on a tolerant public face when Veronica was protected by the aura of the Fab Four, but she had railed endlessly when it was just her and Dick. Dick started to hate Veronica a little too, identifying her as an agent of the evil force of cockblock. Madison never put out once she was wound up in such a foul mood.

And now Veronica was clearly being shut out. When Dick had arrived, Logan was wearing the blackest expression Dick had ever seen. Logan didn't want to talk about it, which was good, as Dick hadn't even offered. Did it look like he'd grown a uterus in seventh period? Clearly, Logan and Lilly were on the outs again, but this time Veronica was somehow intimately involved. Or else they had discovered what she'd done to Duncan, and it had been horrible. While Logan might have distanced himself for Duncan's sake, he wouldn't have frozen her out this way for anything but the most heinous crimes. And Lilly would surely forgive Veronica anything, but she's skipping this party – Lilly Kane skipping a party!- specifically to avoid Veronica.

The collected 09ers are absolutely slathering to find out what Veronica has done, but despite all her many crimes, Lilly, Logan, and Duncan aren't talking. Which isn't to say there isn't speculation. Shelly, serving in her self-designated role as Lilly's emissary, whispers her suspicions about Veronica's purported purity. Madison scoffs at that because everyone knows how frigid Veronica is. Clearly, Veronica had stolen something from the Kane house. The little townie klepto is probably Ebay-ing her way through anything not nailed down. But in the end, her crime doesn't matter. She is entirely Other. She doesn't belong, and allowing her to forget that was a huge mistake on the part of her betters.

So when the opportunity presents itself, Dick pushes Veronica into the pool. She's no more than two feet from the pool edge, her back to the gathering crowds as she gazes out over the pool and surrounding patio. Meg sees that something bad is about to happen as she observes Dick's approach over Veronica's shoulder, but she is too slow to prevent the inevitable. When he turns back from his mission, the glee on Madison's face tells him he's probably earned himself a handjob, minimum. Everybody laughs, and Enbom claps him on the back. Dick grins widely, happy to have secured his position as the undisputed wit of the party, and strides off to claim his prize from Madison.

Veronica flails a little in the water before she finds her feet and heads toward the ladder. Meg is crouching down and offering her hand, but Veronica's grip is slippery. Meg grabs in panic at the bodice of Veronica's sundress as Veronica starts to fall back, and the delicate strap pops free, unceremoniously dumping Veronica back into the water. Another round of laughter washes over the crowd, and Meg looks apologetic as she puts her hand out again. Veronica waves her off and hauls herself out of the water.

As she wipes pool water out of her eyes, Veronica sees a flash of movement from an upstairs window in her peripheral vision. Wringing the water out of her hair, Veronica strides purposefully towards the house. With each step, the water in her shoes squelches, and she grimaces in discomfort and embarrassment. She has to push through the crowd past the bar, and she gets several loud squawks from disgruntled, and now slightly damp, 09er girls. As she climbs the stairs, she can hear muffled giggles and a sudden flurry of activity. Apparently her entrance is expected. She feels the crowd behind her stalk towards the stairwell, already salivating for her duel with Logan.

When she reaches the tops of the landing, she sees Logan seated on a low couch and wrapped around Yolanda, enthusiastically examining her back teeth with his tongue and determinedly ignoring his former friend. Veronica pokes Logan's shoulder, but he continues to ignore her. However, Yolanda senses his tension and opens her eyes. She separates from Logan's kiss with an audible pop and rubs the back of her hand across her mouth self-consciously. Logan looks back and forth between the two girls, his gaze bleary and annoyed.

"Logan, can I talk to you? I just need…" she pauses, taking in the way his eyes won't properly focus and the way the tightly corded tendons in his neck pop. She sighs, "You're completely wasted." Veronica crosses her arms over her chest, and her hands wrapped tightly around her elbows. The arctic chill of the impeccably well air-conditioned Echolls Mansion has finally penetrated her laser-focused sense of purpose, and she tapes her foot impatiently on the carpet, hoping to conceal her shiver. She attempts to look stern, but she's come here to take care of him, and her concern leaks through.

Her crossed arms pull the bodice of her dress tightly across her chest, and the dunking in the pool has made the thin white fabric almost see through. Logan's mouth goes dry at the sharp points of her nipples as they press against the muslin. One of Logan's problems, he is realizing, is the ease with which he confuses anger and desire. He shakes his head, baiting, "I don't think you're qualified to tell me when I've had enough. Then again, maybe Mommy Dearest has given you some pointers..." At that, Veronica stills for one moment, aghast, but then huffs into action, grappling with him.

She leans into him, offering her thin frame to support his weight and trying vainly to lift him, but he pushes her off. If it weren't so annoying, it'd be almost cute the way she thinks she can move him. "Come on now Ronnie, fair is fair. You let Lilly have her fun, now it's my turn," Logan says with a cold chuckle. He looks at her, almost clearly, and says thoughtfully, "Why'd you go and ruin a good thing? So jealous of me and Lilly, just because you couldn't hold on to the Donut. I guess nobody can be happy if Ronnie's not happy. When'd you get so petty Mars?" Closing her eyes, she rolls her neck in a loose circle, trying to displace some of that tension. When she opens her eyes again, all warmth is gone. All he sees is anger and acceptance and defeat.

She grabs Yolanda by the wrist and hauls her a short way off. Yolanda is completely unfamiliar with this side of Veronica, and she goes directly into damage control. "Logan told me he and Lilly broke up, I would never…" Veronica cuts her off with a sharp motion of her hand, "Whatever. Believe me, I don't care." Veronica grabs Yolanda's hand and places Logan's keys in her palm. Yolanda goggles, "How did you get these?" Veronica smirks coolly, "I lifted them off him during our little wrestling match there." But just as quickly as the smile came, it's gone. "He's in for the night. If he's about to pass out, you get him to the pool house. There is Gatorade in the mini-fridge behind the bar and ibuprofen under the sink in the bathroom. He's an asshole when he's hungover so you should probably clear out before he wakes up." She gives Yolanda a tight smile, "Good luck."

Yolanda just nods her open-mouthed assent, and Veronica turns on her heel. "Bye Veronica" Logan calls after her as she pauses for a moment in her escape, "And remember, 'Betrayal is the only truth that sticks - Arthur Miller.'" Veronica step falters a little, but she is on the move again. A small wave of catcalls follows her, but she makes no sign she notices. And when Yolanda and Logan stumble drunkenly into the pool house together, they are followed by several pairs of sharp eyes. Blearily pounding at the keys of her Blackberry, Caitlin Ford makes a phone call.

A/N 3: As always, reviews and concrit deeply appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3: She Just Couldn't Stay Away

**TITLE: His Friend Too****  
><strong>**AUTHOR: arbailey****  
><strong>**WORD COUNT: 3,048****  
><strong>**RATING: PG-13 for language (This chapter maybe light R for language; Logan's pretty upset…)****  
><strong>**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.****  
><strong>**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline****  
><strong>**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

A/N : This story is currently unbeta'd, and all errors my own. That being said, anyone interested in beta-ing, please feel free to PM me!

**Chapter Three: She Just Couldn't Stay Away**

Logan wakes to the unsubtle sounds of cabinet doors banging open and shut, ringing through the pool house. The light is too bright and sounds are too loud. Everything has the sharp edges and pronounced borders emblematic of the painful clarity of an epic hang-over. He can hear her muttering tiny exhalations of frustration interspersed with curses as she searches his room. Then a soft sound- like ball bearings rolling in a track- whispers out, and she crows quietly in triumph.

He has no memory of how he had arrived in the pool house the night before, but that isn't unusual. Veronica usually bundled him off to the pool house so as to avoid property damage or noise violations in the main house. He smiles sourly thinking on her; she's always been so conscientious of his parents. Head still buried in the pillow, he gropes towards the bedside table and locates the first step in his hangover remedy: ibuprofen and Gatorade. Veronica completely ignores the Percocet he keeps under the sink, instead pretending that she's badass by slightly going over the recommended dosage on ibuprofen. Only, this morning, there are just two tablets instead of the usual four. And orange Gatorade. He hates orange Gatorade.

But then Veronica didn't tuck him in last night. That would have been Yolanda. This must have been the quick little powwow that Veronica grabbed Yolanda for. He doesn't remember much of last night, but he does remember making fun of Lianne. That was a low blow, and he feels guilty for a second. But she didn't have to be there- she shouldn't have been there. It is so fucking typical of Veronica to just keep pushing until he blows. And then he's supposed to feel guilty when, in fact, SHE is the little traitor who set him up to catch Lily and Aaron in flagrante. He pulls himself up on his elbows to take the two ibuprofen tablets dry. He doesn't feel up to actually getting out of bed to grab a couple extra.

Her back is turned, and instead of the black curls he expects, he sees long blonde locks. It's not Yolanda slamming around the room. For a second he's shocked she'd even show her face here, but then he remembers: she's Lilly Kane. And as her little performance of Hop on Pop yesterday proved, she's pretty much shameless. He collapses face first back into his pillow, unobserved by his ex. He's really not up to this right now.

"What the hell are you doing, Lilly?" he queries, not unkindly, his voice muffled by the pillow. His sudden voice startles her, and he hears the indelicate bump of a hastily shut door. Her head pops up, wide eyed for a split second, before she schools her features into a disdainful smirk. "Good morning, Logan," she pipes in saccharine tones. "Can I get you a glass of water?" Logan sits up, smiling tightly before replying, "I'll repeat myself. What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. Here. Lilly?"

She is strapped into something red and too short, a bag slung across her body. The strap nestles between her breasts and pulls at the already low neckline, exposing yet more cleavage. It is an outfit chosen to punish. Brightly, she shakes her prize in front of him, like a terrier with a rat. Duncan's old Rumble Pack controller throws out handfuls of dust, glittering in the early morning sun. "Duncan said he needed this back. Something about doing a 'rebuild'. Daddy is in a bonding mood, apparently."

Logan chuckles mirthlessly, "And you're such a good sister you ran right out on that little errand?" Her smile deepens, a little maliciously, as she replies, "Well, I was going to be in the neighborhood." Craning her neck ostentatiously, she peers around the corners of the room and asks, "So… Where's Yolanda?"

Logan closes his eyes wearily, only to open them again quickly as the image of Veronica's angry expression from the night before paints itself against the inside of his eyelids. "She told you?" he huffs, feeling betrayed. Which is- and he can admit this to himself even in this hungover state- completely ludicrous. As if he had left Veronica in any doubt about the state of their friendship. "Of course," Lilly smiles, showing her eye teeth. "She was trying to get in good with me. Honestly, it's about time I commanded a little loyalty."

A resigned huff of air escapes Logan's lungs as Lilly continues to prattle. "Do you feel better now?" she asks, maintaining that same overly bright tone. "Has your manhood been restored?" Logan casts her a sideways look, suddenly appraising. "Is the great Lilly Kane jealous?" Lilly's lip curls so severely it nearly doubles back over itself, "Oh, _please_. I just think it's pathetic the way you throw yourself at the first set of tits that stumbles by your drunk ass. And," she continues, gathering steam, "it's so obvious you were doing this for my benefit. I mean, seriously, are you going to pretend there is any other reason you would maul some chick you barely know at a party in front of all my friends? The whole point was you wanted it to get back to me."

Logan exhales mightily, rubbing the back of his neck where he feels knots forming in the muscle. "Why would I bother? Why on earth would I waste another thought on the cheating slut who banged my dad?" Logan phrases his question with all the appropriate anger, but it isn't a rhetorical question. "You tell me, Logan," Lilly replies, something like sympathy in her tone. His rage, always simmering, reignites explosively. "Oh, fuck you Lilly. I'm not pining away for you, okay? It was a party. With MY friends. I got drunk, I hooked up with a chick. That's what you do at parties. I wasn't hoping your little lap dog was gonna run back and tell on me. Because you and me? We're done. Spectacularly done."

"Good to know," Lilly spits back with a satisfied smirk, "but you might want to alert all those 'friends' of yours because they're pretty convinced you're obsessed with me, and they aren't going to let this go. Reveling in his petulance, Lilly's eyes go filmy as she remembers the events of the night before. "God, Madison was pissed when she heard she'd been scooped by Caitlin." Logan stops suddenly, his hand stilling over the aching knot between his shoulders. "Wait. You didn't hear about this from Veronica?"

Lilly's jaw sets, but her tone is flippant. "I'm not speaking to her. We were supposed to be best friends…" She pauses before continuing, "Or it might be that she's not speaking to me. Anyway, we're definitely not speaking. She couldn't do the one thing I asked of her." For all her angry words, there wasn't the heat behind them that Logan expected, and his eyes narrow in suspicion. "What was she supposed to do Lilly?" Lilly demurs, "Well she sure as hell was supposed to be on time."

Logan's jaw drops **"**You set her up! You made sure we'd walk in on you and Aaron. Fuck, Lilly… Why?" Logan's tone is beseeching, desperate to understand Lilly's mercurial intentions. Lilly is somehow affronted at his accusations and bites out, "You weren't supposed to walk in on anything! She was supposed to help me out! She was supposed to pull her stupid little teary ingénue bit, break the news to you, and show you how this was all for the best." Lilly paused, quieter now, toying with the idea of honesty. She shrugs, deliberately casual, and continues, "Because this wasn't fun anymore."

Logan explodes, "Are you fucking kidding me Lilly? It wasn't FUN anymore?" Lilly crosses her arms over her chest, defensive. "Yeah, it wasn't fun anymore. You were always moping when we were together and drinking yourself into a stupor when we weren't. It was boring, Logan. It got old. You were boring. Did you really think we were going to get married? Have kids? Buy a Labrador? Because if you did, you never knew me at all," Lilly hisses out, her voice steely.

"For God's sake, my dad?" Logan replied, a spreading sadness in the question. Lilly's expression looked almost ashamed for a moment, but she recovered quickly, shaking off the foreign emotion. "I wanted out, but it was never gonna happen if I left it up to you. You'd keep lashing out, drinking yourself into a forgiving daze, and then turning a blind eye. And this was the worst thing I could think of," she said quietly, staring past him. Logan spits out, "You know what he is like, you know what he's done…" But before he can continue, Lilly rushes to interrupt him, unwilling to let him say what they have never said. Not in all the time they'd been together.

"Look," says Lilly, suddenly conciliatory, "I know you two don't get on, or whatever, but he's fine. You just have to know how to handle him. You're always baiting him, making him snap. You just need to learn how to read him better." Logan just stares at her, dumbstruck. He watches her for an indication she is joking, but genuine pity spills from her eyes. And in that moment, Logan realizes how right Lilly is. How little they truly understand each other.

His voice is husky, a throat constricted and dry with the effort of holding back tears he WILL NOT shed for Lilly Kane. "You couldn't just tell me?" Lilly looks uncomfortable, twisting the game controller in her hands nervously and repeating a little desperately, "You weren't supposed to even be there. If Veronica had just been on time… God I even had to move the action out of the pool house on to the actual patio deck. She totally fucked me on this… Anyway, telling you wouldn't have been any fun either," she mutters, attempting flippancy. But it wouldn't have been fun. And Lilly doesn't do things that aren't fun. "Why Veronica?" Logan manages to spit past the choking dryness. Another empty shrug. "Because she's your friend too. Because I thought she could console you. Because you would believe her. She wouldn't lie. Not about something like this. Not even for me."

Logan really looks at Lilly for the first time in a long while. She squirms a little under his scrutiny, but she refuses to let him cow her. "She really didn't know, did she," Logan says, considering. Lilly laughs, genuinely surprised by the question. "Are you kidding? There's no way she could have kept that from you. The guilt would have caused her head to implode." Logan shakes his head, bemusedly asking, "How could you do that to her? Put her in that position? She's your best friend."

Lilly sneers, "Oh please. I mean, come on, I knew she'd pick her moral high horse over me, but the fact that I knew she would doesn't make it okay. And besides, some part of her would have been thrilled to be breaking us up. She loves the drama, the angst, the schadenfreude. Plus she always had this stupid little thing for you. Always taking your side. 'What about Logan, Lilly? He loves you, Lilly!'" she imitates Veronica in an unflattering singsong.

Logan stares at Lilly, dumbstruck. "Veronica likes me?" Lilly seems to sense her mistake and backtracks, "Liked. Past tense. And don't get too excited there, Tiger. It wasn't you, exactly. She had a need to rescue strays. Your pathos appealed to her." Logan still can't seem to process this turn of events, "But she never said anything, she never…" Lilly interrupts, her voice matter-of-fact, "She knew better than to fight me for things I wanted. In the end, I'd win anyway. It was much easier for her to back down. I mean, it can't have escaped your notice that she was dating my brother, AKA the only guy in school I am legally obligated not to sleep with." Something about this remark seems to tickle her, and she giggles quietly to herself.

Logan had anticipated that a time would come where he knew all of Lilly's tricks. When she could no longer surprise him. He now doubts that day will ever come. "But I had a thing for V when I first met her- you knew that! You forced as much out of me at Homecoming!" Lilly's eyes narrow dangerously, "No, you thought she was HOT. Don't act like it was more than that. You thought I was hot, too. Or am I misremembering the 'standing ovation' you gave me while I practiced my dives? Then you took me back into the pool house to 'critique my form'," she licks her lower lip lasciviously, but Logan is too preoccupied to really notice. An angry cloud begins to form on her brow, but she seems to shake it off with an effort. "I thought she'd see this as the chance to help me that it was, but the two of you completely ruined my plans. She was just supposed to smooth the rough edges, chill you out, and then we'd all have a good laugh!"

"She was so just bummed out by Duncan, and I was so tired of your bullshit," Lilly gives him an insincere smirk as she continues, "this would have been perfect. She would have forgotten all about our stupid brother with a bit of new drama to liven up her life." Logan's brow creased as he begins in on a tirade, "She's not like you Lilly! She doesn't get distracted by every… Wait. What?" Logan rapidly loses steam. Lilly's grin becomes huge and dangerously toothy, "Isn't it delicious! Apparently Daddy Dearest and Lianne Mars, nee Reynolds, had a thing back in the day."

Logan pauses for a beat before he begins laughing uproariously. "That's just stupid Lilly. There's no way." Lilly loses her big smile and grimaces in irritation. "It looked pretty legit to me. Celeste had this year book. They were prom king and queen. Plus, there were all these doofy letters from Lianne, including some dating back to, oh" she pauses for effect and looks at her watch, "just under 17 years ago. The last one was kind of panicky," Lilly finishes, tapping her chin contemplatively.

"Fuck," Logan says, the terrible awe apparent in his voice. "I KNOW!" Lilly practically shouts, her huge grin in full flower once again. "We always had a connection that was way deeper than best friend necklaces, you know? And thank God Duncan is such a blushing little virgin… That could have been bad." Logan hadn't even considered Duncan's reaction until this moment. "Oh, man… Are you going to tell her?" Lilly looks at him like he has lobsters crawling out of his ears. "Are you nuts? No way. She's such a Daddy's girl, it'd crush her." Logan is angry all over again. "You can't just not tell her! This is huge!" Logan's attention drifts as he began to process all of this.

"Jesus," Logan mutters to himself bemusedly, "You're doing my father, Veronica is your sister… And she liked me." Lilly pokes one well-manicured finger into his chest, hard, in annoyance. Her conversation is being hijacked by Logan's descent into topics that unjustly exclude Lilly. "Well she doesn't like you anymore, so I guess you can stop worrying about it!" Lilly says with malicious cheer. Logan snaps back into focus on Lilly, as he inevitably must. "What? Why?" Logan asked blearily and with a barely detectable hit of alarm at the back. Lilly crosses her arms over her chest, protectively, and idly dangles the controller from her hand, showing another fleeting flash of remorse.

She shakes off the melancholy creeping into her posture and replaces it with fiery scorn, "Do you even need to ask that question? Last night you destroyed her in front of everybody! I thought she'd help you. I thought you two were friends. How was I supposed to know that you'd send her off to gulag?" Logan crinkled his brow in confusion, "What the hell are you talking about?" Lilly rolls her eyes in her trademark style. "You threw her to the wolves, asshole. Duncan dumped her- and she and I are obviously incommunicado right now- but we didn't say anything to anyone else. But you told Dick. And after all, he is the soul of discretion. Of all people, DICK!"

Logan sighs, impatient. "I didn't tell Dick anything, okay, but it didn't take a whole lot of insight to see I wasn't doing so hot last night. What about your little chat with Shelly? That stoked the fires more than anything I did! And besides, it was just a little prank, Lilly. So she got pushed in the pool. It's not a big deal." "Maybe not," Lilly counters, "but it sets a dangerous precedent. Your little lackeys have taken up arms against Veronica for you. It's only a matter of time before they really hurt her." Logan scowls at her, "And you care? This is your fault!"

Lilly's spine stiffens and her entire expression ices over. "You should know better than anyone that being angry with someone, feeling betrayed by someone, doesn't keep you from caring about them. She picked you yesterday. She left me standing in your driveway like an afterthought. She has made her choice, and maybe I won't forgive her. Or maybe she won't even give me that chance. Anyway, you should try to do something to deserve that level of loyalty."

Logan bows his head slightly, a curt nod his only acknowledgement of her words. Whatever Lilly believes of the 09ers, it is hard for Logan to imagine anyone actually looking to hurt Veronica. But his friends are idiots with the occasional cruel streak. It is certainly not an impossibility. Logan lets out a long put upon sigh, "I'll talk to them about it." As she turns to leave, Lilly's lip curls, "Don't strain yourself. She doesn't need your help." She stalks towards the door, insisting on having the last word, "I'm not sure you even really know her. Veronica is all red satin and sharp teeth, and the whole world is about to learn that…"

A/N: Any and all reviews and concrit would be most deeply appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4: Call Me Anything You Like

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 2,957**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N ****1: Apologies on the long gap between updates! Illness, midterms, and a bunch of other real life malarkey got in the way. Also, this chapter kept growing and growing until I had to split it into two. On the plus side, however, I'm pretty much done with chapter five, so you'll definitely get a new chapter next week. This story is un-beta'd and all mistakes my own.**

**A/N 2: This is not a song fic, but all my chapter titles are lyrics from songs****. I have been waiting to bust out my Elvis Costello affection, and this seems like a good time! "Veronica" is a kick butt song, and there are definitely shades of VM to the description of Costello's Veronica… You can call her anything you like, but her name is Veronica!**

**Chapter Four: Call Me Anything You Like…**

Veronica had been shocked to wander blindly into the sticky last moments of Lilly's affair with the elder Mr. Echolls. Stunned. Staggered. Gobsmacked. However, everything that has happened since that moment has had an air of dreaded inevitability. She had known exactly how events would fall out, like giant life-crushing dominos. Logan would be angry, Logan would lash out, Lilly would be angry, Lilly would give her the silent treatment. She expects these reactions and isn't surprised when she gets them. Yeah, Logan is a little angrier with her than she expected, but she gets it. She was the messenger. She delivered the kill stroke on his already tenuous faith in Lilly.

But he hit a terribly tender spot with that crack about her mom. And it's made all the worse by the fact that he KNEW how much that would hurt her. Their shared trauma has been a source of quiet commonality between the two of them. While they have never spoken about their mothers' substance abuse problems, they have silently comforted each other on more than one occasion. She has no real desire to run into Logan. And since she is still furious with Lilly, the silent treatment is just about ideal. The only thing she hadn't considered was how the 09ers would treat her because she pretty rarely considered the 09ers at all.

Some of them were awful people, some of them were okay, and some of them- like Meg- were even sweet. She hung out with them, gossiped with them, and joined insipid extracurricular activities with them- Pep Squad had been Lilly's idea, obviously. But none of them made much of an impact on her life. They were the giggly background noise of a party where she was hanging out with her best friends. They were almost entirely peripheral to her inner life- they might have well been the caterers of the lavish 09er parties she attended instead of the hosts.

She had been sort of dimly aware that she was in an envied position. Lilly Kane was the unquestioned queen of Neptune High, and being her best friend automatically conferred courtly status on Veronica. But Veronica wasn't friends with Lilly for status, and Lilly wasn't friends with Veronica out of a sense of charity. They were friends because Lilly recognized that Veronica was braver, meaner, and more cunning than she let on and because Veronica knew Lilly was more conflicted and unsure of herself than anyone would ever guess from her outward shows of brio. They were friends because they understood each other, reflected each other. But all of this delicate reciprocity was invisible to the other 09ers, who simply saw their queen hanging around with a grasping social climber- of all things, the local sheriff's daughter- because Lilly could manipulate and mold Veronica in any way she saw fit.

Veronica had had plenty to keep herself occupied the previous weekend. In addition to endlessly obsessing over Lilly, Logan and Duncan, Veronica had been busy pretending everything was fine in her home life. Her mother had come home (from a quick grocery run according to her teary, hiccupping claim) red-eyed and without any groceries. Veronica forced a tight smile, as sympathetic as she could manage, and put her mother to bed, pretending not to notice the bottle of "water" on her mother's nightstand and doling out her mother's migraine medication. She crossed her arms over chest as she watched her mother settle into sleep. Her palms gripped her elbows tight enough to restrict blood flow, and she shook a little, a deep frown marring her face. Adolescence may be all about learning that life isn't fair, but Veronica was feeling overmatched by the burdens suddenly tossed upon her.

And as it turns out, two days isn't enough time to deal with the total collapse of your life. Lilly's plans to humiliate both her and Logan still galls Veronica, and she's not prepared to put on the brave face and go groveling back to Lilly. And as familiar as she is with "Lilly being Lilly", she can't let it go yet, which leaves total avoidance as her only option. Luckily, Veronica has memorized the schedules of all members of the former Fab Four, and she finds it surprisingly easy to avoid Lilly, Logan, and Duncan. Duncan is still blanking her, and Logan is skulking around conspicuously in what he no doubt thinks is a highly covert manner. She catches Lilly's eye in the hallway just once, but turns away quickly. The older girl's expression is unreadable beyond a certain coolness.

Avoiding all the 09ers, however, wasn't really possible, even if she had realized it would be an issue. She's been lying low, but all week she's getting little glances. It's hardly earth shattering stuff, a few whispers, a snotty anonymous note pushed through the vents in her locker, a small sneer here and there, but Veronica has never been the focus of this much negative attention, and she initially quails a little under the scrutiny.

But nothing actually happens, no punches are thrown or bodily harm done. It's the same nasty, low-level bullying she has seen and- to her eternal shame- participated in for years. Just 09ers expressing their dominance like monkeys at the zoo. By the Thursday, she's mostly inured to it. Still, when she sees Madison and Lilly standing by her locker after school, Veronica stops short before setting her shoulders and striding forward. If she isn't going to let Lilly run her life, it is past time Veronica let her know. She has to stop running away.

But Lilly casts one tight look at Veronica's halting approach and turns back abruptly to Madison. With a few quick words to Madison and a sharp flick of her head towards Veronica, Lilly stalks off just slowly enough that no one could accuse her of running away. Too relieved to question her good fortune, Veronica puts her head down and doesn't stop until she reaches her locker. But Madison isn't making any move towards leaving, and as she sidles up to Veronica with a smug smile, Veronica tenses and refuses to focus on anything but her suddenly fascinating locker combination.

Madison tries to affect disinterest, but there is too much malicious glee in her tone to really pull off the charade. "Lilly says you're out. Don't talk to her. Don't talk about her. Drop pep squad. Don't even think about coming to the car wash this weekend. Stop throwing yourself at Duncan and Logan before you make an even bigger fool of yourself. In fact, you should pretty much curl up into a ball and die if at all possible."

Lilly's usual move in a situation like this- because come on, Veronica is by no means the first girl in school to raise Lilly's ire- is to distance herself from the latest pariah through a series of public decrees delivered by proxy. Veronica had never actually given one of these speeches, as she was considered too soft to make the requisite cruelty obvious, but she had observed the practice many times. Madison's temperament makes her an ideal choice for projects such as these. But even as Veronica ticks off the usual points of protocol in her mind, she is disappointed. She had believed, foolishly obviously, that she was a special case. That Lilly would keep her mouth shut. That Lilly might pull her punches for old time's sake.

But that was fantasy at its most rose-colored. Lilly's reputation is built on the control she holds over the other 09ers. And she controls them by being richer, more audacious, more reckless, and ultimately more ruthless than anyone else. She can't afford to let Veronica's offense slide even if the specifics of Veronica's defection are vague. And really, Veronica is powerless to stem this tide. Even if she wanted to destroy Lilly for all the rotten stuff she's pulled (and despite everything that's a very big if), outing all of Lilly's secrets would only further enhance her reputation for outrageousness. Everybody who'd be hurt by Lilly's sleeping with Aaron already knows what she did.

Veronica turns to Madison with a wide and saccharine smile, "First of all, I just want to say congratulations on taking this opportunity to kiss Lilly's butt, I'm sure you'll make good use of it. But if you think you're anything other than a messaging service for Lilly, you're deluded. Have fun pretending she thinks about you as an actual person for the next couple of days."

Madison's mouth pouts in a disingenuous little moue as she doles out her condolences, "Oh Veronica. Hurt by Lilly trading up? Try not to cry over it, I mean she was bound to come to her senses eventually. There are lobotomized whores better suited to being Lilly's best friend than you."

Veronica's smile slips not an inch when she replies, "Oh, come on now Madison. Don't be so hard on yourself."

In a sudden flurry of movement, Madison's angry face closes in and Veronica instinctively rears back and turns to get out of the crazy bitch's way. Madison spits into her hand, grabs Veronica's long ponytail, and yanks. She grins ferally and dusts her hands against each other, laughing. The whole thing seems kind of surreal (Hair pulling? What are they, eight?) and Veronica grimaces a little at her scalp's tenderness as she runs her hand through her hair with a blank look in her eyes. Until she hits the snarl of gum Madison just ground into her ponytail. She quickly pulls her hand from her hair in disgust, her jaw setting painfully. Madison laughs louder as she sees Veronica clue in and stalks away down the corridor, her giggles still rolling distantly through the hall.

Veronica turns back to her locker and slowly, calmly gets her books together. She's not going to run, or cry, or do anything to make this worse. The witnesses in the hall are on tenterhooks, waiting to see if she'll chum the waters around her by making a scene, but as she serenely continues her routine, they disperse with a few awed whispers and incredulous chuckles. She strides out to her car purposefully. The show is over for now.

But the stoicism only really works while she has an audience, and she's practically in tears by the time she gets home. She's relieved to see that her mother's car is in the drive, but when she gets into the house, Mom is passed out on the sofa and dead to the world. Veronica inhales quick, panicky little breaths through her nose as she tries to tease the sticky gum out of her hair and dashes to the bathroom. She rummages through the cabinet under the sink, slamming the cupboard doors more than is probably strictly necessary.

She is desperately seeking the rubbing alcohol when she remembers a blowout argument between her parents which ended in her mother self-righteously filling a box with household items. Mouthwash. Cold medicine. Rubbing alcohol. On the curb for pick up by the local Sanitation Workers #506. Her mother's snit lasted for all of three days before Veronica found an empty vodka bottle hidden inside the umbrella stand by the door. But they never got around to restocking the rubbing alcohol.

Gauze pads and cotton buds litter the floor around her, and Veronica is suddenly furious as her hand closes on a pair of scissors. She grabs the clump of hair trapping Madison's gum and unceremoniously snips off the entire section and tosses it in the wastepaper basket. The endorphins must finally be hitting because she feels lighter, in control for the first time in days. She gathers the remaining strands of her long ponytail in her hand and cuts the whole thing off above the band. It looks better than she would have expected though she calls the salon for triage all the same. By the time she gets back, her mother is up and about, although she is still peering around sort of blearily.

"Oh, Veronica," whispers Lianne sadly, "Your lovely hair. What happened? Where's Lilly's twin?"

Veronica's eyes blaze as she turns suddenly to look at her mother. Lianne steps backs when she sees Veronica's expression, her own eyes wide in alarm and concern. "Veronica?"

Veronica just shakes her head wearily and doesn't respond, striding upstairs toward her room while Lianne collapses back onto the sofa, at a loss. She watches her daughter cart box after box of pink and frilly clothing into the LeBaron before driving off to the local thrift store. When Veronica returns, she's wearing combat boots and a tough little fatigue-green jacket. Her designer bag, a gift from Lilly, is gone, replaced with a sturdy and functional canvas messenger bag.

Lianne watches her daughter move about the house with a new, brittle poise. She wants to hug Veronica, to beg her to explain what has happened. And sometimes in a hesitant moment she swears Veronica wants that too, but something final has closed over in her daughter's eyes. Lianne feels a soul-ache well up in her chest and nearly squeeze off her breathing. She has lost the opportunity to comfort her daughter over whatever tragedy has befallen her. She's lost her position as confidant, likely permanently. She slinks off to her bedroom and digs out a bottle of innocuous, clear liquid. Intellectually, she knows that alcohol cannot be both the cause AND the solution of her problems, but the beauty of alcohol is how it smoothes conscious thought away. When Veronica finds her mother half an hour later, again passed out, she just shuts the door briskly.

The next morning at school Veronica is again the focus of many awed whispers and incredulous stares. There is a fog of uncertainty around her that dissipates quickly when word gets around about what she did to John Enbom. For the rest of the day, she is given a wide berth as her classmates try to figure out how to react to the new Veronica. She doesn't speak more than three words to anyone under the age of twenty-five all day, and it is an oddly intoxicating feeling of power to see a path clear for her in the halls. Still, this whole new persona only really works with people who didn't know her that well in the first place. She keeps up her avoidance routine for the handful of people who could utterly destroy this carefully assembled façade.

The hallway around her locker looks clear, so Veronica makes a move towards her goal with quick, purposeful steps when she feels someone grab her arm. Veronica panics for a moment as she twists out of the grip, only to settle down when she recognizes Yolanda's penitent expression.

Yolanda pulls back her hand in apology and alarm, "Sorry Veronica! Wow, they weren't kidding, you really did go all hair-trigger kung fu on Enbom, didn't you!" Veronica flashes an apologetic grimace and shrugs her shoulders. In this case, the more outlandish the story that gets told, the better off Veronica will be.

Yolanda presses forward and says, "Listen, I just wanted to apologize about the party. I should have known better than to move in on a guy so clearly designated as another girl's man, even if I am new to the area…"

Veronica shakes her head emphatically, "Lilly doesn't need any undue consideration here. She and Logan broke it off. You're in the clear. Good luck with him."

Yolanda just looks at Veronica, one eyebrow raised. "Yeah, that's not who I meant. I mean, Lilly's not the one giving people instructions on how to put him to bed. I'm sorry, but back East that suggests a certain level of intimacy."

Veronica's jaw drops for a second before she hurries to correct Yolanda's misperception. "Hey, I'm the responsible one, that's all. I could also tell you exactly how to hold Lilly's hair back or how to convince Duncan to drink some water by daring him to shotgun his Nalgene. It's the curse of being the designated driver, not some deeply hidden romantic longing, alright!"

Yolanda shrugs her shoulders non-commitally and says, "Well anyway, you should know nothing happened, just a little…"

Veronica interrupts again, drawing her hand across her throat, "Yeah, I really don't need to hear the details. That may be the best thing about Lilly and Logan breaking up: no more play-by-plays."

Yolanda nods her assent, but continues, "Well, at least you should know he felt bad about what he said about your mom."

Veronica quirks an unconvinced eyebrow while Yolanda presses on, "He kind of got this sick expression on his face after you left, finished his bottle, and then we stumbled to the pool house where he promptly passed out." Yolanda gives Veronica a searching look, and Veronica shifts uncomfortably in place, confused and a little unnerved by the unforgiving examination.

"Are you going to forgive him?" Yolanda asks bluntly.

Veronica opens and closes her mouth for a few moments before sighing. "It's not a question of forgiving him. He says angry, ill-considered things all the time. I can hardly hold his nature against him. But the point is moot. I have more than enough assholes in my life to keep me occupied. I'm not going to start adding to my collection out of nostalgia. We we're only friends because of Lilly and Duncan, which is clearly no longer an issue. In fact, I think the only thing we have in common now is how much better off our lives will be without each other's interference."

Yolanda's only reply is a grim smile. Directed at someone a foot taller than the little blonde and standing right behind Veronica.

A/N 3: It's hard to imagine it now, I think, but I promise this really IS a LoVe story. Hang with it and things will improve. I gotta have my daily recommended allowance of angst! Also, I changed my dialogue spacing based on the suggestion of a kind reviewer. Let me know if it improved readability.

A/N 4: Full disclosure- I cannot promise reviewing will make me better at keeping to a regular updating schedule. But it couldn't hurt, right? Feed the muse! All reviews and con-crit are massively appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5: She's Changed

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,218**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N 1****: Two new chapters up in a week! Somebody open the champagne! Granted, chapter 4 was ridiculously late, but who's counting! I will try to keep to a new chapter each week, but this is my busy season. I have two classes worth of essays and journals to grade this weekend, and I'll have the same next weekend. So I can make no ironclad promises, but I'll do my best. In the future, I think will be keeping my uploading to Saturdays. As always, this story is un-beta'd and all mistakes my own.**

**A/N 2: Would a recap ope****ning each chapter be useful? PM me or let me know in reviews!**

**Chapter Five: She's Changed…**

Logan rolls into the parking lot just as the first bell rings and strolls casually into the building, earning a stern look from Clemmons. Logan smiles condescendingly, but he is decidedly on edge today. Arriving late on a Monday morning is not an unusual thing for Logan Echolls, but he's never done it so deliberately before. He covertly sweeps his glance across the entrance and public spaces and then relaxes when he finds himself utterly alone. Veronica Mars is an excellent student. She won't jeopardize her stellar attendance record just to confront him. He's passed the day's first hurdle, and it'll take a lot more than a little stink eye from the assistant dean to make him change his strategy.

After Lilly's early morning attack on Saturday, Logan had just wanted to go back to wallowing in his own misery. He'd had a carefully arranged plan for the weekend: he was going to drink until he passed out, sleep it off, and then repeat those two steps until Monday. He was keeping his fingers crossed that he wouldn't choke to death on his own puke, but even that added a roulette-like element of excitement to his plans for self-annihilation. But he wasn't even allowed that. He was hungover, ill, and irritable, all of which were Lilly's fault. And somehow she'd managed to make him feel guilty.

Logan was something of a soft touch when it came to Lilly. She'd spent years learning how to make him feel guilty, and perhaps it shouldn't have surprised him that she could wield that power even in the face of his recent betrayal. He was angry with Lilly, obviously, but he wasn't shocked really. At least not that she was cheating on him. Admittedly, the dad angle had been a real surprise twist.

And so of course he had hooked up with Yolanda to make Lilly angry. Yolanda was fun and cute and everything, but above all else she was new to the area. Lilly's response to him ogling Yolanda had been surprisingly vehement, and Yolanda didn't know enough about the intricacies of the Neptune High hierarchies to realize the importance of keeping her distance from him. It was a pitiful attempt at retribution, though. He was willing to acknowledge that. There was nothing in his arsenal to compare with Lilly sleeping with his dad. She'd gone nuclear on him, and he was still throwing stones.

In less than twenty-four hours, Logan had discovered that his relationship with the only girl he'd ever imagined a future with was finished, that his girlfriend was sleeping with his father, and that his best friend had dropped Veronica because she might be his sister. Any one of those items of information was fully deserving of his complete attention. But what was sticking with him was that Veronica had, once upon a time, had a crush on him.

The idea that Veronica liked him as more than a friend- even if it was in the distant past, even if she hated him now- made him nauseous. Because he hadn't thought she was hot when he first met her at twelve. He'd thought she was perfect. She was funny and feisty and, okay, hot too. When Lilly introduced him as Aaron Echoll's son, Veronica had given him a sort of pained and vacant smile, and that ambiguous expression had made him even more curious about her. Months later when they were really friends, she'd told him in an apologetic whisper that she had been worried he'd be another arrogant Hollywood brat like that idiot Connor Larkin who had wrecked in the marina the summer before. Then, shamefacedly, she told him that she thought his dad's movies were kind of dumb. She was quick to assure him that they were fine, but that she liked grittier stuff like _Easy Rider _and old noir detective films. Logan had been crushing on her since the day he met her, but in that moment he fell for her: instantly, deeply, and hard.

He'd never made a move, never made any hint that he liked her. She was cheerful and obliging and she rarely disobeyed her parents. He knew he wasn't good enough for her. He was snotty and rude. He was mean sometimes, lashing out in all directions. He wasn't a good person. Aaron had been telling him that for years, and while he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Aaron was a world-class asshole, that didn't mean he wasn't right about his son.

And he could tell Duncan liked her too. Duncan, with his All-American looks, his good grades, and his sparkling future. Duncan and Veronica just made way more sense, just as he and Lilly made way more sense. Lilly was feisty and hot too, and if she lacked the sort of sly self awareness that made Veronica appealing, she made up for it with other ample assets. It had seemed like kismet, the way the four friends broke so cleanly into romantic pairs, but in retrospect Logan can see the invisible hand of Lilly Kane making her machinations in the background.

If he'd given himself even a moment to think about it, he would've known Veronica couldn't keep a secret like Lilly's betrayal from him. And she wouldn't have been up for a big, painful reveal either. That wasn't Veronica's style. But she was so relentless, chasing him down when he just needed a moment to get his head straight. He didn't need her pity, hovering over him like an injured baby bird just thrown from the nest. She seemed to think that having a friend would make it better when it should have been obvious that having to face ANYONE in that moment was unimaginably worse. But he regrets his hasty words. On the beach. At the party. In every breath since he talked with Lilly. Because now he has proven that he IS another arrogant Hollywood brat, and he's going to have to apologize.

Logan gave up apologizing, for anything, when he was ten. Apologizing didn't make people forgive you. It didn't keep your father from beating you. If anything, it made him hit harder with the triumphant knowledge that you had been broken. Saying you were sorry didn't make your mother smile again, it just left her eyes darker and more pained, and she'd console herself with the contents of the liquor cabinet. It didn't make the help like you any better. It didn't mean anyone was going to be on your side. It just meant that you'd lost. That you were wrong, that may be you deserved what you got. With what he's said to Veronica, she's earned an apology, but he's not sure he can give her one yet.

So he takes alternate routes to all his classes and keeps his head down to avoid accidentally catching anyone's eye. He skips Journalism entirely, and he fakes illness to get his half senile French teacher to let him go fifteen minutes early. As he floors the Xterra and screams out of the parking lot, he's feeling pretty proud of himself. Veronica is known for her ambush tactics and merciless pursuit, so the fact that he managed to evade her conveys upon him a strange sort of honor.

Tuesday, Logan keeps up his bob-and-weave passing style between classes, but he's beginning to feel sort of silly serpentining through the halls to avoid a five-foot-nothing blonde chick. He skips Journalism again, but this time it's for practical reasons. They're passing out assignments today, and if he has to listen to Carrie Bishop run one more vapid poll, he'll probably kill somebody. He just doesn't need the heat that disciplinary action against him would bring right now. For reasons that were not made entirely clear in the email, his parents are coming home from Nepal a little early. On separate flights.

Logan can feel a cluster headache coming on just thinking about the happy homecoming, and he sure as hell isn't going to give Aaron yet another reason to be pissed when he gets home on Saturday. Maybe Mexico would be far enough away to avoid the worst of his father's wrath in those first few days back. Making a mental note to call the Casablancas brothers, Logan slinks out to his car lost in thought. It's not until he actually reaches his vehicle that he realizes how lucky he is Veronica hasn't caught him unawares. He promises himself to be more vigilant in the future.

Wednesday, Logan gives up his alternate routes and skulking. He even goes to Journalism, only to be told that Veronica picked up a photojournalism assignment yesterday. She won't be in class until Friday. He is completely torn by this information. On one hand, he's thrilled to get a little bit longer respite from her anger and accusations, a little more time to compose his thoughts. On the other hand, there is a little stab of disappointment. In any event, Logan is going to let this run its course. If Veronica wants to have a big confrontation about this, he probably owes it to her to listen. Maybe even break out that apology if the moment seems right. No more hiding. When she finally catches up to him, he'll take it like a man. So it's not until Thursday that he realizes he's not the only one taking evasive maneuvers. And when Friday rolls around and it comes out that Veronica has asked for an extension, Logan steps up his game.

Logan has decided to stake out Veronica's locker. He's tired of missing her, and impatience has replaced his earlier trepidation. He's going to bite the bullet and force a confrontation. He gazes up and down the hallway, watching for the swing of her long blonde hair and her carefully matched pink twinsets, but she remains elusive. While he's getting antsy just standing there, he resists the urge to go looking for her because the second he leaves she'll be at her locker. She's undoubtedly watching for him at least as closely as he is watching for her. But he's also tucked back in a doorway, hoping to ambush her and head off her need to bolt the instant she sees him.

He sees Yolanda stop to talk to some chick he doesn't recognize in tall black boots and a just-long-enough denim mini. Already Yolanda's tenure as the new girl is up! But Yolanda is looking apologetic and then unconvinced, which seems like an odd reaction for a "welcome to the neighborhood" speech, and he takes a better look at the fresh meat. The girl he's been absently ogling for a couple seconds, the girl with the short hair and the shorter skirt, _is_ Veronica. The sudden recognition knocks him back, but he doesn't have the time or the stomach to catalog his reactions. If he doesn't talk to her now, he may not get another chance. He has to clear up his mistake soon, or she's going to entirely write him off. And however legitimate that decision might be, he can't deal with the idea of Veronica giving up on him like so many have done before her.

Logan advances on his prey while she is distracted and hears just the tail end of their conversation. "… In fact, I think the only thing we have in common now is how much better off our lives will be without each other's interference." If his own inherent pessimism wasn't enough to convince him that this statement was aimed at him, Yolanda's tense little smile would certainly have clued him in. Veronica pauses abruptly as Yolanda gazes on Logan. She turns her head just enough to catch Logan in her peripheral vision before turning back to Yolanda and slowly releasing a hissing breath between her teeth. The pained sound causes Yolanda to quickly swing her attention back to Veronica.

"Well," says Yolanda, desperately seeking an out from the conversation, "Good talk. I'll see you guys later." Yolanda turns and strides down the hallway quickly, squeezing through barely available spaces between other bewildered students.

Veronica watches Yolanda sprint off and shakes her head tiredly, then immediately goes into high denial mode, refusing to even glance at him. Her shoulder is turned to block him, and she is stealthily working the combination on her locker. This is clearly an extraction: get in, secure the target (codename: math book), get out.

"Veronica are you seriously gonna…" he starts, a weary sigh beneath his words.

But she simply opens her locker, gets her bag and textbook, and snaps her locker shut with a controlled flick of her wrist. He's come too far at this point to let her bolt without hearing him out, so he tries to block her exit. She simply turns on her heel and spins past him as though it was a choreographed move. Desperate, Logan catches her arm as she turns away from him, and she flinches. A dull yellow and purple bruise peeks out from underneath her t-shirt sleeve, and he drops her arm quickly.

"What happened?" he asks brusquely, only to see her eyes harden. He's made a critical misstep, but for the life of him he can't figure out what it is.

She smiles saccharinely and says, "Enbom accidentally bashed me with his history textbook as we passed in the hallway. Whoops! That joker can be so clumsy sometimes! And wouldn't you know it, I was so surprised I inadvertently socked him in the solar plexus, and he puked all over Susan Knight's shoes. Well, I was so embarrassed I could have just died! But accidents will happen I guess. It is so important to be aware of the people around us."

Her tone is disingenuously innocent and she bats her eyes at him cartoonishly before letting her features slide back into something approaching her usual expression, though her eyes are darker than usual.

Logan glowers, "I'll kill him."

Veronica snorts indelicately, her arms crossed over her chest. "That's really not necessary; I think he gets the message. Susan said she was gonna bill him for the cost of the dry-cleaning. Apparently, getting puke off of Uggs is not cheap… And besides, it was an accident. That means no one gets blamed. You think Clemmons will take the same stance if you beat John's face in?"

She's right, and that somehow makes it worse. Logan is outraged, partially because he is aghast that anyone would dare touch Veronica and partly because this means Lilly was right, which is frustrating and upsetting all on its own.

"I'll say something. I'll get them to back off," he growls, but she just shakes her head wearily.

Veronica sets her shoulders and looks at him sternly, her arms still crossed and her hip cocked, "I don't want you throwing your weight around for me Logan. That kind of antiquated machismo isn't going to improve my situation. And I know you're 'king of the 09ers' or whatever, but it is stupid to think you can stop people from behaving like assholes. This is high school; we're all assholes. You of all people must know that. So just… Don't. I'll fight my own battles."

Logan swallows back his anger and nods, his eyes cast down. She's right, ultimately. He can't force Madison to like Veronica or to treat her with respect, and Veronica will do a much better job of exacting revenge than he ever could. She is careful and cunning in a way that Logan just can't manage. He's a man of fist-bruising action, as likely to hurt his cause as help it. Still, if he can't prevent her torment, he can at least apologize for what he himself has done and said to her.

Logan begins in fits and starts, unable to clearly articulate his chagrin, and says, "What I said at the party, that… That wasn't cool, and I mean, what the fuck do I know? Your mom is great, seriously, and I shouldn't have suggested… I was talking out of my ass. And, I just wanted to apologize for that bullshit at the party and, hell, at the beach too. I was way, way out of line."

"Okay," she says, somewhat blankly. "Good to know. Thanks."

Logan just parrots her words back at her. "Okay?"

That can't possibly be all she has to say. Logan runs his hand through his hair unconsciously. Veronica recognizes his nervous gesture, and she responds with a little forced cheer, hoping to finish this conversation before he says something that makes her tenuous control collapse.

"Yep," says Veronica a tight and tentative smile on her face, "Okay. Are we done here?"

Logan blazes forth, suddenly furious and terrified. Because things are not okay. Not at all, and Veronica is giving up. "I said I was sorry! Doesn't that mean anything to you!"

Veronica looks him over, her eyes wide in surprise. "It absolutely means something to me. I appreciate it. I know you were upset at the beach and drunk at the party, so I wasn't going to hold it against you, but the fact that you regret it says a lot. So thank you for the apology, and I forgive you for the things you said. You wanted to make amends. So good, we've done that. But what I don't get is why you think this changes anything."

Logan, baffled, opens his mouth to protest when Veronica steps forward to cut off his tirade. She puts a hand against his chest to stop him in his tracks and then looks up at him with her clear blue eyes.

"Hey," she murmurs in a soft voice, "It's okay."

The skin under her warm hands prickles and stings, like tiny, ongoing static charges, and he suddenly finds himself unable to speak, his tongue too thick in his mouth. It's a startling and uncomfortable sensation for a guy who has spent his entire life getting into and out of trouble with his smart mouth. Veronica rushes on, completely unaware of Logan's discomfort and determined to get her point across before he interrupts.

"Listen, you're Duncan's best friend, and I'm nobody's best friend. We know where we stand. You don't have to keep pretending, okay? You don't owe me anything. And the sooner you get over this misguided need protect me through your loyalty to Duncan or some twisted sense of responsibility left over from Lilly, the better. You don't owe anything to Lilly either, and Duncan doesn't care to acknowledge that I exist, so please. Just stop. No one expects you to play nice with a Kane reject, least of all me…" she pauses, a pained expression flashing across her face before she returns to the calm, detached mask that Logan is coming to hate, and continues, "Anyway, you're off the hook."

She withdraws her hand and shrugs her shoulders before giving him a small regretful smile, "I'll see ya around Logan."

And with that she walks off. He watches her with a slump to his shoulders. He pulls his cell out of his pocket and absently dials a familiar number.

"Dick," he begins, the barest hint of rawness in his tone, "I need to get seriously brainless this weekend. You down for a trip to TJ?"

A/N 3: As always, reviews and con-crit are enormously appreciated! And they really do feed my desire to write, so… You know what to do!


	6. Chapter 6: Girls on Film

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,517**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N**** 1: Okay, so, the timeline. My carwash occurs on a Saturday. Now, technically, October 3****rd****, 2003 was a Friday. But I needed Logan to be in school all week to avoid Veronica, and he needed to spend at least one night in Mexico. While I know Logan thumbs his nose at academic pursuits, it does seem weird he took off on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon for an extended trip to Mexico. And as far as I'm concerned, carwashes on a school day are silly and unlikely. So my October 3****rd**** is a Saturday, but, heck, this is already AU. I hope you can forgive me.**

**Chapter Six: Girls on Film**

Veronica didn't want to go to the carwash. She hadn't really wanted to join Pep Squad, either, when it came to that. She had wanted to try out for girls' soccer, a far better use of her PE credit, but instead she let Lilly draw her into the insipid clutches of the Pep Squad. They weren't even proper cheerleaders! It was a total waste of time! But she had done it. For Lilly.

She didn't want to go to the carwash, and she didn't want to help raise funds for a club trip to Catalina, and she didn't want to wear her Pep Squad uniform and its entirely-too-short-to-be-school board-approved shorts to soap up cars for the dirty old men driving by. But she was doing it. For Lilly.

Because Lilly didn't want her to come to the carwash, and Veronica no longer did the things Lilly told her to do. In fact, she did the opposite of what Lilly told her. It was pretty new as a personal dictum, but she'd worry about exceptions to the rule when they came up. For now, she was going to be everywhere Lilly didn't want her to be.

Still, that does little to dispel her discomfort as she stands, overexposed, on a southern California Saturday. Veronica keeps her head down, crouching and scrubbing silently at the cars, but she feels the approach of her erstwhile best friend before a word is spoken.

"Hey, I've got a secret. A good one," says Lilly, sidling up to Veronica with a sponge in her hand.

Veronica's only response is to scrub harder at the fender before her, and Lilly huffs impatiently. "If this is about Logan, I guess I forgive you," Lilly says with a reluctant drawl.

That stops Veronica in her tracks, and she slowly stands and turns. "YOU forgive ME? Are you serious?"

Lilly nods magnanimously, missing Veronica's incredulous expression. In a begrudging tone, she continues, "I guess there are probably a lot of reasons you were late. I mean, you can't control traffic or whatever. And while it wasn't cool that you took off like that when I needed you, I guess I understand that you were caught up in the moment. I mean Logan taking off like that… What a drama queen." She scoffs a little at the expense of her emo ex-boyfriend.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Veronica moans to no one in particular. "You broke Logan, just destroyed him, and I wasn't supposed to do anything? I was supposed to go back to your house and run through Cosmo quizzes? Can you hear how insane that sounds?"

Lilly's jaw sets just slightly, "Yeah, okay, I get it Veronica. Duh, that's why I'm forgiving you, obviously. God. Lighten up."

"Yeah, see, I don't take orders from you anymore, okay? That's why I'm here, at this stupid car wash, in these stupid clothes, having this stupid conversation. And another thing, that stuff about throwing myself at Duncan and Logan! It's not funny, and it's not true!" Veronica says, one white-knuckled hand curled tight around her hip.

Lilly rolls her eyes, "Okay, so I told Madison to tell you not to come today, but that's only because I knew you would! You're too easy, girl. That's, like, pre-school level reverse psychology. And, duh, I never said you were throwing yourself at Duncan and Logan. That was just Madison being a bitch. I mean, why would you even bother? Nothing is ever going to happen with either of them," she finishes dismissively.

Veronica, while she has to instinctively agree, is still miffed by Lilly's dictatorial words and says, "What do you mean by that?"

Lilly shrugs, unperturbed by Veronica's slightly hostile tone. "They're, I don't know, the untouchables or whatever. Duncan – still not worth your time by the way – was a total coward, but he's not going to take you back. You're better just staying clear of him. I mean, you're smart, you get that. And Logan is too messed up over me to even think about anyone else. Especially you. I think it's going to be that way awhile… He's not even close to being okay yet," she muses. "It's kind of flattering really."

Veronica is sputtering indignantly, but Lilly isn't listening, isn't even paying attention. Spotting something behind Veronica, Lilly suddenly grins, a little evilly, and says, "Well speak of the devil..."

Veronica turns, and behind her Logan is placing something in Lilly's car. Lilly says, disgustedly, "Oh God, come on! I thought we we're past this!" She puts on a wheedling voice and says, "Veronica, please go tell him to give it up!"

Veronica shakes her head emphatically, "I am NOT going over there."

Lilly is genuinely surprised at Veronica's refusal, "Pretty please? You're better at dealing with his mopey ass then me."

Veronica sighs, "Yeah, see, that was before. Now I don't have to deal with him at all."

Lilly is suddenly furious, "Hasn't he apologized yet! God, I told him!" Lilly's eyes blaze for a second, and Veronica replies, "No he did, it's just…Wait… Since when are you and Logan talking!"

Lilly looks at Veronica a little blankly, "Um, we talked the morning after the party. I had to go round and pick something up. Also, I maybe wanted to snoop on him and Yolanda a teensy bit." Lilly squints her eyes and makes a tiny pinch with her fingers.

Veronica throws down her sponge fiercely, not even sparing a look for her former friend. She stalks back to her own car and grabs her bag before returning to Lilly's side. "I have to go Lilly," she says coldly as she strides purposefully towards the Xterra.

Lilly claps her hands delightedly and waves as Veronica stomps away, "Thanks Veronica, you're awesome! Besties!"

Logan had spent the last twenty-two hours wrapped in the warm embrace of tequila and increasingly bad decision making, but it just hadn't had the soothing affect he was hoping for. He had lots of experience drinking away the hurt of betrayal and rejection, but usually he could at least tell himself he was the injured party. This time, he'd earned his misery.

And the soft, sad picture Veronica had painted in the hall yesterday had left him utterly spent. She was so forgiving and hopeless that it made him sick to his stomach. He'd waited too long to talk to her, and so she had drawn her own conclusions. They were the wrong conclusions, true, but he wasn't really sure how to tell her that without further complicating their friendship.

And neither of them needs complications. Whatever his feelings for Veronica- which are not at all clearly defined in the first place- he's not going to poke the tender places of Duncan's psyche. His best friend deserves better than that, even if he is being a self-absorbed idiot. Duncan has been sullen and withdrawn since his break up with Veronica- definitely understandable- and while they are still best friends, Logan has lost a little of Duncan too. Logan is hardly going to sacrifice his last shred of honest friendship just to pursue some pipe dream of Veronica. He is 100% sure of this because he keeps repeating it to himself in a steady monotone. Over and over.

Wandering the street markets, he'd found a shot glass Lilly would love at some rundown, touristy little stall, and he bought it. Their break-up had been so sudden, so final, that Logan was feeling a little bereft. Not because he missed being with Lilly, exactly, but just because he missed the stability of being in a terribly dysfunctional relationship. He'd once been dragged to see his mother's therapist during one of her bi-annual attempts to bring her life into order, and the doctor had made a big production of describing the various evils of such twisted and stunted interactions. Even then Logan had known the doctor was bullshit. It's not the fucked-up relationships that break your heart; at least then you always know exactly what to expect.

So he had driven back to the Neptune High Pep Squad carwash determined to bestow his gift as a ritual, to capture the foul beast Closure, and to move the hell on with his life. But when he gets there, it's not just Lilly he's faced with, but Veronica to. He watches both of them for a moment. Veronica is looking pissed off, but Lilly prattles on cheerfully, blissfully unaware of her friend's obvious anger. He represses a compulsive chuckle, but his heart leaps to see that at least he's not the only one Veronica is angry with. The Veronica who doesn't buy into Lilly's games is a very intriguing creature.

He pulls out of his quasi-stalker-y stupor with a guilty shake and gets out of his vehicle to secrete the shot glass in Lilly's SUV. Face-to-face delivery is not an option. He wants to get closure today, not a tetanus shot. He climbs back into the Xterra and lays his head wearily against the steering wheel, only to hear Lilly's angry stomps up to the car as she throws open the door. She climbs in and slams the door shut. He lets out a put-upon sigh and turns. Right into the most testicle-shrinking glare he has ever received.

If you had asked him ten minutes ago who his least favorite Veronica incarnation was, he definitely would have picked the downtrodden Veronica of the day before. But wrathful Veronica is pretty terrifying. He's going to have to update his list.

"You made up with Lilly – the girl who slept with your FATHER – the next morning but you struggled to apologize to me almost a week later! Come on! When I thought you were just generally angry for your shit luck and your shit taste in women, that was one thing, but now that I know you saved it all for me, I'm starting to feel really hurt. You're an asshole, Logan, and I would hate to formally dissolve our friendship without saying that," Veronica spits at him.

Logan is knocked back by the force of Veronica's anger and, in particular, the cursing. He has made the classic mistake of believing that because he never heard Veronica curse, she can't. But she grew up at the sheriff's office and is fully fluent in virtually all forms of profanity. Still, as scary as she is, this Veronica doesn't seem so willing to forgive. Maybe she won't be so willing to give up either.

Logan turns to face forward, starts the Xterra, and throws it into gear.

For all of her earlier bluster, Veronica is genuinely surprised at this turn of events, and she panics at losing control of the situation, "Logan, stop!"

"You know," says Logan, blandly cheerful, "You have had an awful lot of to say over the past few days, but I've never really had a chance, so let's take this opportunity to clear the air."

"There is nothing to say, alright! Pull over Logan, or I swear to God I will throw myself out of this vehicle! Tuck and roll!" Veronica starts fiddling with the door, so Logan engages the child safety locks.

"Are you SERIOUS!" she screeches and then lunges across his lap to get to the driver's door controls.

"Veronica, for fuck's sake!" Logan yells as he tries to use his shoulder to block her and force her back into her own seat while remaining on the road. He can't have her in his lap and continue to correctly operate this vehicle, and for the safety all involved parties, he needs her to calm down.

"I know why Duncan broke up with you!" he blurts suddenly, and she immediately stills, slumping back into the passenger seat.

"You do?" she says skeptically and a little quietly.

"Yeah, and if you calm down, we'll go to my house and I'll tell you," Logan says with exaggerated and condescending slowness.

"Fine," Veronica huffs, throwing herself against the seat's backrest, buckling herself in, and pointedly staring out the window silently for the rest of the trip.

Someone must have leaked Aaron's flight details, because when they reach the Echolls mansion, the driveway is absolutely crawling with paparazzi. They part at the approach of the Xterra and watched the gate swing slowly open, snapping shots of the infamous Echolls boy.

Logan has parked, disengaged the safety locks, and hopped out of his open door before he notices Veronica isn't moving. She is staring straight ahead, her arms clasped in front of her.

"Veronica, come on. Let's go. We can talk in the pool house," says Logan, standing in the doorway of the Xterra, his arms braced against the roof. Logan can hear the shutters of high-end cameras clicking behind him, and they ratchet up his tension a further notch. While his list of dislikes is long, paparazzi are second only to his father, a dubious honor.

Veronica, staring straight ahead, replies in a clipped voice, "I don't see why we can't talk here. Let's just be done."

Logan walks around the cab of the vehicle with a sigh and pops open Veronica's door. "Seriously. Let's go. I think you'll appreciate the privacy," he says gesturing over his shoulder at the stand of photographers crowding the gate.

Veronica snorts derisively, "They're not here for me. I think I'm safe. But fine. Let's just do this, so you can take me back to my car." Veronica unbuckles her seatbelt and flings the strap away behind her, giving Logan a black look.

She slinks back towards the pool house, and Logan follows behind, rolling his eyes skyward and begging for patience. Her whole gait screams her general dissatisfaction with being here, in enemy territory, and he is beginning to despair this conversation when she suddenly straightens her shoulders and develops a bounce to her step. As he turns the corner, he sees what wrought this change in her attitude. Aaron.

Aaron stands at the entrance to the pool house, startled by Veronica's sudden appearance with his eyes wide and his expression blank. At the approach of the small blonde, he schools his features into a winning smile and greets her, "Veronica! How are you?"

"Hi Mr. Echolls," Veronica says in a cheerful voice, "How was Nepal?" At Aaron's hesitance, Veronica continues in an apologetic tone, "Oh I'm sorry. Should we go? Are we in the way?"

"Not at all! I'm just so surprised to see you! Logan told me he was going to be in Mexico this weekend," says Aaron, and with that he turns to Logan. The smile remains but the temperature is markedly cooler. "Son, you have to keep me and your mother informed of your whereabouts. What if there was an emergency, and we couldn't find you! It would break your mother's heart."

Veronica jumps in. "That's completely my fault Mr. Echolls," she says, breathy and regretful. "I'm doing this photo project for the school paper, and I needed Logan's expertise. I totally forgot that he was going out of town this weekend. But when I called him, he came right back to help. He's a really good friend."

Her acting is so over the top, so clearly disingenuous, that she is afraid he won't buy it. She rocks back on her heels subtly with that guileless smile on her face, her hands clasped behind her, and wills him to bite on her excuse. But she has vastly overestimated Aaron's self-awareness, and he is a man who doesn't understand why you would merely act when you could overact. His toothy smile beams down on her, and he even turns a little of that oral surgery-based sunshine on his son.

"Well, it's great to hear that Logan is so devoted to both his friends and his studies!" Aaron claps Logan on the shoulder, pretending not to notice the way Logan twists underneath his hand. "So nice to see you again Veronica, but I have a meeting I just can't miss. I hope you'll forgive my rudeness" Aaron intones as he walks away, his wave the same one he long ago perfected for the red carpet.

Veronica brightly returns his wave, and then turns to head into the building, her sullen expression back in full force.

"What the hell was that?" Logan asks, exasperation permeating his words as he crosses the threshold into the pool house.

"I have places to be, Logan. A whole new life to live, such as it is. I don't have time to watch you get grounded and then have to repeat this lovely little tete-a-tete, okay. Spill, and then you can deliver me back to my car," Veronica says, her eyes closed and her fingertips rubbing at her temples.

"Fine," says Logan shortly. He's never been a patient person, and Veronica's unbending defiance is working his last nerve. "Why didn't you ever tell me that you liked me?"

"What! I don't even know what you're talking… This wasn't the deal! Why did Duncan break up with me?" Veronica says, bemused and slightly panicked, stomping her foot.

"Lilly told me you liked me, that…" Logan begins, ignoring her ire, but Veronica jumps down his throat before he can continue.

"Lilly needs to stop dragging up the tiny crush I had on you when I was twelve just so she can keep manipulating us. Lilly needs to stay the hell out of my life. Lilly needs…" Veronica is counting off Lilly's needs – her head tilted back with mock concentration as she catalogs Lilly's sins – when her eye is caught by what is, most definitely, a lens flare.

Veronica immediately turns away from Logan and clambers on to the bed to get a better look at the fan. She traces the path of the wire, and what has appeared to be a blank wall in all of the million times she has been in this pool house before is now sporting a hairline crack. She forces her fingertips into the small fissure, and pushes the door out of the way. Inside is a television, broadcasting a panoramic view of the pool house, and, even worse, a little red light: the international symbol of a recording device.

She turns back to face Logan, drawing herself up in righteous anger. "THIS is why we had to talk in the pool house! You wanted to record my big confession? Oh god… Lilly sent me out to talk to you! You two set me up! I am so colossally stupid…" Veronica is almost hysterical, but she refuses to lose it in front of Logan, who is now headlining her most wanted list.

"I didn't… I wouldn't…" Logan is finding it nearly impossible to finish sentences, too wrapped up in his shock and horror at discovering his dad's newly revealed voyeurism. While he had no idea his father indulged in this particular sin, it's not a difficult leap for his brain to make. And however little Veronica thinks of him, he could never have brought her here if he'd known about his dad's perverse little set-up. Every private moment he's ever had in this room is on a tape somewhere, and he can feel the bile rising in the back of his throat.

But it wouldn't matter what he said, Veronica is not listening. She's is ignoring him pointedly, tearing through the formerly hidden cabinet with barely suppressed fury. She viciously pushes the eject button and pulls the current tape out of the recorder. And it's then she notice the carefully, though cryptically, labeled collection of videos.

She is pouring manically over the neat stacks of video tape when she runs across a hole in the collection, a wadded up piece of paper taking the place of what looks to be three tapes. She smoothes out the paper and reads in Lilly's loopy scrawl, _Thanks for the memories, lover. I always wanted to be in the movies _followed by a series of x's.

She immediately jumps up, shoves the paper into Logan's hand, grabs his shirt, and starts hauling him out of the pool house. "Come on, we have to go. Now."

Logan can't keep up with this emotional dynamo, and he is still protesting his innocence vehemently. "Veronica, I swear I didn't know about…" But she interrupts before he can continue.

"Logan," she says, ripping the note out of his hand to hold it up where he can read it, "We have to go. He's got a fifteen minute head start on us, but I bet the paparazzi have slowed him down. There's no time." Veronica trails off, darkly.

Logan closes his mouth, his teeth making an audible click. There is no question which "he" she means. Logan glances at the note, but it's Veronica's stricken confidence that gets him moving. In a matter of seconds, they are back on the road to the Kane place. As they speed through the 09er district, they pick up an escort: a sheriff's car, the sirens screaming. He hesitates, and glances at Veronica, but she merely shakes her head, and he puts the pedal down.

A/N 2: I have been thrilled to read all your reviews thus far, and I beg you to keep up your excellent work! You are all really driving my desire to write. Please and thank you!


	7. Chapter 7: Another One Bites the Dust

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,174**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N 1: Back again after a week off! I think that this will probably be updated fortnightly through the end of the semester. In the next three weeks I have two sets of final papers to grade, a final exam to write, an office to move, and a conference to attend, so an update every other week is probably the best I can promise. I greatly appreciate your patience!**

**A/N 2: In the canon, I believe Leo was hired after Keith's tenure, given his unawareness of Veronica's general character. But I love him. I love him so. Far and away my favorite non-Logan beau. So for my purposes, he was hired in September of 2003, when he is approximately 18 and a half. Totally legally possible, if unlikely.**

Chapter Seven: Another One Bites the Dust

Leo D'Amato is new to Neptune, and maybe that is the problem. And he is green, too. He'd only completed his training and joined the sheriff's department a month earlier. Tonight is only his second solo patrol, and he's still learning the ins and outs of Neptune society. But he isn't stupid, and as he chases after the yellow Xterra, screaming through the 09er neighborhood, he begins to feel with an unerring certainty that he has made a Big Mistake.

All Leo had wanted was a job with a halfway decent salary - maybe a pension twenty years down the road - that didn't require a four year degree. School was a no go. He was smart, but not the kind that got a full ride anywhere. He couldn't burden his parents with more debt, not with Tina's medical bills the way they were. A sheriff's badge in a cushy little beach community had seemed pretty ideal.

Growing up in National City, the crime ridden jewel of San Diego County, he'd been familiar with deprivation and the myriad ways that lack manifested itself as anti-social behavior. But Neptune was like bizarro land. The Have-Nots were still tearing it up on their end of town with vandalism, domestic abuse, and regular B and Es, but in the good neighborhoods the Haves were just as busy defrauding each other and flouting every available county statute just to prove that they could. And the only people in the middle were the civil servant like himself, trying to keep the two groups separated to the best of their ability.

When he first clocks the SUV doing 55 in a 35, he observes the car carefully. The Xterra is a late model, tricked out, and obviously familiar with the 09er district, based on the speedy, confident progress it is making, but it's just a Nissan, not a high-end luxury brand. Best guess, this is some snotty kid with a parent in upper middle management. The driver is reckless, no question, and that can be corroborated by no less than three speed cameras. And Leo is eager to impress Keith, who had shown a distinct lack of awe for the wealthier citizens of town, but he's not prepared to make an enemy of somebody who could stall his career. This is looking like a solid prospect, and yet…

As the car careens onto Kane property, Leo feels that trickle of dread become a small stream. When the gate obligingly opens and Leo pulls in behind the overwhelmingly yellow SUV, his stomach rolls. And then the movie star's kid pops out, racing towards the Kane mansion. Leo hesitates, shocked by the sudden appearance of the Echolls boy, and in that moment he sees Veronica rocket from the car, her bag clutched tightly in her fist.

He knew Logan Echolls by reputation and his similarity to a famous profile, but he knows Veronica personally. If she's here, this is a bad situation. Not because she draws trouble or has to be in the middle of every argument, but because if she's here, then Leo can look forward to a world of rage from Keith. At Veronica for being caught up in some mess. At Leo for reporting the incident. At the world at large for invading on the perfect world he wants for his baby.

And Leo likes Veronica. She's funny and smart, and she makes hanging out in the station a hell of a lot easier for the couple of hours she stays. And she's cute, too. Really cute. So cute that he is always on his best behavior, unfailingly polite, and dramatically chivalrous when given the opportunity. Obviously, her dad is his boss, and he likes his genitalia just fine where they are, so he'd never make a move. Maybe not NEVER, never. Maybe by never, he means a few years down the road. Maybe then. A two and a half year age difference isn't that much really…

So in this moment, Leo's misery is at its height. This is not going to be an easy collar, and Keith will not be happy about any dust-up that involves his precious baby girl, regardless of Leo's strict adherence to procedure. Still, this is his job. He can hear raised voices from the backyard, no doubt near a huge and immaculately kept swimming pool. He's never been here before, but they ALL have huge, immaculately kept swimming pools. With his first paycheck, he bought himself a microwave.

He picks up speed when he hears the screaming. It seems like the lawman thing to do, but it doesn't make him any less apprehensive. There are a million ways for this to go badly, and only a very small handful of happy outcomes he can envision. But as he darts onto the pool deck, at least he has this one comfort… He can definitely trust his instincts.

Because Veronica is crouched over the slumped form of one Aaron Echolls, movie star, and she appears to be holding a taser. Tonight is going to suck.

As she throws open the door of the Xterra, grabs her messenger bag, and dashes toward the backyard, it strikes her that she doesn't have a plan. She's been running on adrenaline and a dread fatalism, and up to this point it has been enough. But now doubt is creeping in, slowing her movements. Logan plows on ahead of her, the speed whipping back the edges of his trademark button-up. As always, his focus has been whittled to a sharp point by his anger, and for once Veronica envies the ease with which he transitions into a violent mode.

Behind her, she can hear the cruiser squeal to a stop. She'd spotted D'Amato racing up behind them several seconds before Logan, but Veronica was temporarily suspending her devotion to the rule of law. The merry chase they had led Officer D'Amato on through 09erdom had been for purely practical reasons – time was a definite issue – but now that he's here, Veronica can't help but be relieved. If she's wrong and this is nothing, D'Amato will be far easier to placate then Sachs, Lamb, or – horrors – her dad. But if she's right – and she has never wanted to be right less – then maybe having a fully deputized officer of the law available will be a good thing.

Not having a plan is another in this week's long line of unpleasant firsts. At the bottom of her bag, nestled in old gum wrappers and movie ticket stubs, sits her taser. She can feel its solid weight bouncing against her leg as she runs, and she is out of other ideas. Watching the little crackle of blue electricity arcing from point to point has always made her shiver nervously. She had wondered if she could ever push the button, knowing that she would be hurting someone. She has her answer now as she paws one-handed through her bag to retrieve her weapon.

Rounding the corner, she sees Logan standing motionless, staring at the scene in abject horror and calling out a warning. And where Logan is now paralyzed, Veronica springs into action. She runs past him, too terrified and exhilarated to carefully aim lest she over think the action, and fires the two pin-like electrical probes at People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 1987.

She has practiced with the taser, sort of. It was just supposed to be for emergencies after all, and cartridges cost! Still, that lemon tree in the backyard will never look at her the same way. All things considered, she honestly feels she has done really, really well on her first live tasering. She nails him in the shoulder, which is lucky. Striking him in the head or too near his heart carries a higher risk of serious injury or even fatality, and she just isn't prepared to add manslaughter to her list of crimes tonight. Simple assault will suit her just fine.

Aaron goes down hard, muscles twitching spasmodically, and he lets go of the heavy ashtray as his fingers lose motility, his arms thrown in front of him involuntarily. It's fascinating the way a little misapplied electricity can shut the body down. And she's not sorry, at all. In fact, she really enjoys it. Too much, even. But she'll examine that dark place some other time, when she isn't so busy preventing murder. She jogs the last few feet to Aaron's body and kneels over him.

There is a little bit of blood where the probes lodged in the muscle of Aaron's shoulder, but all in all he seems to be doing well. However, he is unconscious, and it is difficult to tell his overall condition with him lying face down. She extracts the probes and puts her shoulder into it to roll him over with a forceful shove, and, whoops, he seems to have pissed himself. Still, it could have been worse. His pulse is steady, and he is breathing without difficulty.

"Jesus Christ, Veronica!" moans a distracted Officer D'Amato as he squats down beside her and repeats her earlier motions, checking the aging action star for signs of life. Confirming the steady thrum of blood in the movie star's veins, he visibly relaxes and rocks back on his heels, rubbing at his temples. "What the hell happened here?"

Veronica shrugs non-commitally, giving him a surreptitious sidewise glance. She's not sure how the whole thing is going to play out, but she's willing to bet that her version of underage sexual intrigue is not going to be the party line. She's working on crafting an adequately vague response when she spots her former best friends arguing a ways off.

Lilly is looking determinedly nonchalant, and Logan is looking angry, so it seems that all parties are holding tight to their expected parts. She sees Logan catch Lilly's arm as she turns away, she sees Lilly's face crease in a twinge of pain, and she sees Logan throw down Lilly's wrist in horror. The slump of his shoulders screams a sort of deep and pervasive guilt, and Veronica leaps up and sprints for her ex-friends before this little detente can descend into dangerous territory.

But she isn't fast enough to prevent the killing blow, and she hears Lilly say, "I guess you and your daddy are more alike than I thought!"

If it was bad before, the situation just became critical. Logan's head drops, his face shadowed. It should have been obvious how hard that would hit him, but the surprise on Lilly's face suggests it was a remark carelessly thrown out.

"Lilly!" shouts Veronica reproachfully, and then continues, dangerously quiet, "Go get them."

Veronica has a short but crucial list of needs at this moment: She needs a way to protect herself from being prosecuted by Aaron Echolls when he eventually regains consciousness. She needs Lilly to vacate the immediate premises so she can deal with Logan's emotional triage. And she needs a way to spin this whole debacle to her father so that he doesn't forcibly enroll her in a convent situated in a secluded and impassable jungle in Ecuador. Only the first two problems can be alleviated by Lilly retrieving those tapes she has undoubtedly secreted in the air vent in her room, but it is a start.

"Get what? " Lilly says, playing dumb, but she can see that Veronica isn't playing at all, and she beats a hasty retreat to the secure confines of her room.

Veronica immediately turns her attention to Logan, and it is worse than she feared. "Logan?" she says hesitantly. How do you convince someone that their greatest fear is unfounded? "She has no idea what she's talking about, you know. Logan?"

He's not listening. That much is clear from the blank look in his eyes. They are getting darker and darker, as though the very thing that lights them, the thing that is Logan, is retreating into the shadows. Panicking, she grabs at the edges of his shirt like she's going to shake some sense into him. He's slumped a little in defeat, but even so she has to get up on her tiptoes to meet his blank eyes. She feels ridiculous, like an animal puffing up to fool a predator.

Even as she does it, she's pretty sure it's a bad idea…

When Logan rounds the corner onto the spacious Kane patio, Lilly is standing with her back to Aaron, her hip cocked and her tone laced with bitter laughter. Neither of them notices the sudden appearance of the third in their complicated love triangle, and as Logan races forward, Aaron's shoulders tense and he grabs a heavy glass ashtray from a conveniently placed table. Logan manages to call out a loud, "No!" but he has never felt more useless, more helpless.

Lilly turns, startled by Logan's sudden shout, and she catches sight of Aaron raising the ashtray over his head. She blanches, and takes one unsteady step back, but Aaron makes no attempt to stop the potentially deadly fall of his hand. Logan is trapped in the moment, unable to move forward or avert his eyes.

Everything slows around him, and the sounds of the world are muffled by the heavy pounding of his own blood in his ears. He feels a cool breeze slip from behind him, and then Veronica is there, two steps ahead. She throws out an arm like she's casting a spell on Aaron, and then, miraculously, Aaron falls to the pool deck, convulsing. The ashtray completes the same journey, falling with a sickening crack just inches from Aaron's prone body.

When Logan can move again, Lilly is screaming and Veronica is hunched over Aaron's body, checking his vitals. Someone he doesn't recognize in the dun colored uniform of the Balboa Sherriff's department races up to Veronica and joins her in inspecting Aaron's motionless form.

Logan dashes over to Lilly, who stares at him wildly as he approaches. His hands come up to softly curl around her forearms, cradling her, verifying her reality and safety. For a split second, he is nothing but thankful, wondrously grateful. But the anger comes quickly, violently replacing the soft look in his eyes. He tightens his grip on her arms, pushing against her just slightly, and bites out "God Lilly, how could you be so stupid!"

Lilly had melted fractionally into Logan's embrace, but indignation quickly reinforces her wobbly spine. She pulls away from Logan, ostentatiously rubbing at imaginary bruises forming on her arms. "I had it under control Logan. It was just a lover's quarrel!" she smirks, just a ghost of uncertainty behind it, her eyes narrowed.

Logan can feel the muscle in his jaw pop as his teeth grind together. "Under control! He nearly brained you with a ten pound glass block!"

Lilly's eyes flash, "He just panicked when you came in yelling like a banshee. He wouldn't hurt me. He wouldn't dare."

Logan's lip curls, "He wouldn't hurt you, huh? And what makes you so special?"

"Well," says Lilly, winding up, "First of all, he knows that if he so much as smudged my lip liner and I'd have him in front of the cops. I'm not just going to sit there quietly and take it..."

Logan flinches, his eye twitching involuntarily.

"And second," she continues, a tight smile on her face, "I have his balls in a vice. Did you know Daddy Dearest is an amateur filmmaker!"

At Logan's palpable lack of reaction, Lilly grins wider. "Logan Echolls, you dirty dog!"

Disgusted, Logan begins, "Hey, I had no idea about that sick fuck's extracurriculars okay! Veronica spotted the camera, and she found your note in the cabinet. And you're damn lucky she did to."

Lilly rolls her eyes in trademark fashion, gaining confidence every second, "I told you, I had this under control. All you and Veronica managed to do was crack my patio," she says impatiently gesturing at the broken concrete beneath the red glass ashtray. "God, I need a drink," Lilly says, turning on her heel to head into the house.

Logan grabs for her arm, and her shoulder twists a little as their movements propel them in opposite directions.

"Ow! Fuck, Logan," Lilly grimaces. Logan snatches back his hand as if burned, and Lilly rotates the joint back and forth with a small pout. "You don't get to decide what I do or when I get to leave! You can't control me! Ugh, I guess you and your daddy are more alike than I thought!"

He actually feels himself shut down. It's like he's standing outside himself, watching as he sinks back into the shadows. He's not even aware that Veronica is beside him until she yells.

"Lilly!" Veronica bites out, "Go get them."

Lilly's usually imperturbable cool is just slightly off kilter as she glances between Logan, collapsing into himself, and Veronica. "I…" She doesn't finish the statement and tries to shake off her unease, retreating to the safety of artful indifference. "Get what?" Lilly, says with wide-eyed innocence, pursing her lips.

Veronica doesn't answer, she just gives Lilly a hard look and gestures toward the house with a flick of her head.

Lilly huffs, "Fine," and stomps off, a certain nervous speed to her gait. Internally, she is vacillating wildly between indignation and intense gratitude for this excuse to leave the tense confines of the patio.

Veronica is gazing at him, concerned, and it's like the beach all over again. If he could move, he'd be sprinting for the Xterra. As it is, he just stands there. He won't meet her eyes, and her words are just vague prattle in the background. He wishes she would just leave him alone, but, as always, Veronica will not be denied. She grabs his shirt by the lapels and heaves herself up on her tiptoes, getting right in his face.

And then she kisses him. Her tongue hesitantly probes his closed lips, and he immediately opens to the kiss as though it were the most natural thing in the world. And it's dramatic and full on and a bit unskilled, but he's immediately back. He's present in the world again.

"You" she says in a merciless hiss as she pulls back from the kiss, her hands still wound tightly in the button bands of his shirt, "Are nothing like your father!"

Whereas before he wouldn't meet her gaze, now he can't look away. He stares deeply into her pale blue eyes, scanning them for pity or regret, but all he sees is a deep and fierce confidence. Her jaw is tightly clenched, and she looks so angry that his own tender reaction seems a little ridiculous.

A loud thump makes them both start, and they turn their heads simultaneously, searching for the cause of the sound. They stare mutely at a gym bag and a pair of muddy cleats, lying inertly where they clattered against the rough concrete of the patio.

**A/N 3: Fun Fact! Harry Hamlin really WAS People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 1987! However, I chose that date randomly as approximately when Aaron would have been at his height of popularity and only later checked Wikipedia! OOOoooooOOOoooh! Spooky! Thank God I didn't pick '86, everybody knows that year BELONGED to Mark Harmon...**

**A/N 4: Reviews and con-crit are lifeblood! Don't let me exsanguinate! Sorry, this got icky...**


	8. Chapter 8: Just My Imagination

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,748**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N 1: Okay, I guess promising fortnightly updates was premature... But finals are done now, I've turned in my grades, and I should be able to devote a bit more time to this story! At least until I figure out my summer work situation! Being a grown-up is not nearly as much fun as sitcoms promised me when I was a kid...**

Chapter Eight: Just My Imagination

Duncan Kane's parents are not fighting. They are simply sitting icily next to each other not talking out of a deep appreciation for road safety. They are most certainly NOT FIGHTING. And with reassurances like that, how can Duncan question their royal decree? The relationships between the members of the Kane family have been deeply fractured by the bombshell of his ex-girlfriend's illicit parentage, and no one is actually talking to anyone else. As he sits in the backseat, staring dully out the window at the sunset, he sinks into reflection - his least favorite hobby.

Today the Neptune's Boys Soccer team had lost 0 to 5 in an embarrassing score fest for Pan High, and this effectively ended the Pirates chances at the Division II championship. There had been some quiet muttering that while Duncan might be the richest player, he certainly wasn't the best, and that making him team captain had cost them the season. Duncan didn't like to disappoint, and he hadn't wanted to be captain in the first place, but circumstances seemed to conspire against him. Circumstances like his father buying new uniforms for the team.

It is against Duncan's nature to rail against authority or refuse to do what is asked of him - he leaves that to Lilly - but recent events have seriously strained his relationship with his parents. He has always been praised for being the rational one, the cautious one, and he learned long ago to lock the unacceptable emotions away. To hide them where they won't cause discomfort for the people around him. Duncan has always been carefully, evenly rigidly, organized. Even as a little kid, he made lists instead of scenes, carefully cataloging his unhappinesses. And today, his sorrows are numerous enough that losing the big game and disappointing his teammates doesn't even make the top five.

Number five is that his parents have unilaterally decided to change his medication after last week's unfortunate incident with his father. He has no memory of the attack on his father, but as much horror as he feels over that violent blank space in his memory, he understands it. He almost admires the invisible beast hiding in the dark bits of his brain. The Incredible Hulk in his hypothalamus said what Duncan never could. That what Jake did was wrong. That what Jake took from him and from Veronica was important and valuable, and it isn't ever going to be okay. That Duncan is paying for his father's mistakes and it just isn't FAIR. The new stuff makes him fuzzy and slow, and it had undoubtedly had affected his play today, but Duncan is more worried he has lost the only part of himself that still tells the truth.

Number four is finding out that his dad was still seeing Lianne Mars through the photos his mother had "accidentally" left on her desk when she sent him to fetch her day planner. He had sat in her office blowing quick breaths through his nose for ten minutes, as his doctor had suggested, before his mother came to find him and had disingenuously apologized. Perhaps he should not be surprised. He has always known that he is a pawn between his parents, sometimes working together to glorify their collective name, sometimes working against each other in carefully strategized power games.

Number three is Lilly. The weekend before she had come home in a foul mood and thrown his old controller at him, which demonstrated she'd been at Logan's but did nothing to explain her general demeanor. They hadn't been talking much; not since he'd told her why he broke up with Veronica. She'd been so excited about the possibility of Veronica being their sister, like she didn't see what a colossal mess this was. So their normally tight bond had been somewhat stressed. But it wasn't just on his side- it wasn't like she was talking to him either. She was cagey as to why she and Logan were on the outs this time, but she had laughed uproariously when she had heard about Aaron and Lynn cutting short their visit to Nepal over an as-yet-unremarked-upon-by-their-publicist domestic squabble.

"What the hell?" His father's quiet irritation snaps Duncan out of his thoughts. The gate to the Kane estate is standing wide open and an unusual selection of vehicles span the spacious driveway. Lilly's surprisingly staid silver Mercedes SUV. A bright red Spider with vanity plate "LNGHAUL". Logan's intentionally obnoxious yellow behemoth. A police cruiser, lights still flashing.

"I'm calling Wiedman," Jake mutters as he fumbles in his pocket for his phone.

Duncan hops out of the back, shouldering his gear and stalking towards the house. Inside, it is quiet, but he can hear raised voices coming from the backyard. He is on his way when Lilly suddenly appears, brushing past him and racing upstairs with a furrowed brow.

"Lilly?" he calls up after her, but he gets no response. Has Logan done or said something? Did Lilly call Aaron to fetch his son back? And who called the cops? Celeste is going to freak if Lilly has brought down some new scandal on their heads, and Duncan's pace slows as he ponders all the horrible scenes that might be occurring on his patio. But he is still unprepared for the sight that greets him. He takes up his list again to keep from screaming.

The number two worst thing about today is seeing Aaron Echolls passed out by the pool being attended to by a member of Balboa County's finest. Unpleasant possibilities are clicking into place as he reflects on his sister's disproportionate response to gossip about Aaron. Call it a wild hunch, but he feels reasonably certain that list entries two and three are related.

And the worst thing about today - the worst thing about this week, this month, this year, number one with a goddamn bullet - is watching his best friend and his ex-girlfriend cum biological sister making out by the pool.

* * *

><p>Lilly Kane has never been a fetch-and-carry kind of girl. She has Duncan for that. But the tone of Veronica's voice and the sudden black blankness of Logan's expression have her scampering up to her room. She doesn't acknowledge Duncan as she darts past him – in truth, she barely sees him. Once in the confines of her sanctuary, she hops up on her vanity, screwdriver in hand, and has her vents open in record time.<p>

As she paws through an assortment of love letters, airplane liquor bottles, and incriminating multimedia items, Lilly ponders how the hell it all got this far. And while she sneers a little at her own uncharacteristic helpfulness, it doesn't slow her movements. But it's just so weird. Because Lilly's whole ethos is built on a foundation of unassailable cool. It's what makes her, her. She has money, but so do Caitlin Ford, Susan Knight, and dozens of other 09ers. She has a sharp tongue and a party girl wit, but so do Carrie Bishop and Madison Sinclair. What she has that they don't, what makes her the queen of the school even as a junior, is a supreme self-confidence.

She does what she wants, says what she wants, fucks who she wants. Because she believes - enduringly, unflinchingly - in her own abilities to think on her feet, charm absolutely anyone she cares to, and always get what she wants. Which is part of what has made today - and let's be honest the last few weeks - so problematic.

When her original plan had exploded spectacularly because of Veronica's slavish devotion to traffic laws, Lilly had been sure she could ride out the flack from Logan and bring things back on track. But Veronica's defection had been seriously wounding, far more than any of Logan's petty barbs. The thing with Yolanda? Textbook and, frankly, kind of sad. But Veronica had never picked anyone over Lilly. Ever.

It hadn't even crossed her mind that Veronica's loyalties COULD be divided. And yes, with hindsight, that little peep show for Veronica had been in bad taste. For years she had poked and prodded and mercilessly teased her best friend for her almost puritanical sensibilities, but she hadn't meant to, you know, destroy their friendship. And now - knowing they are sisters! - the sting is even worse. They should be more connected, more united, than ever.

And undoubtedly, Veronica sees her methods as needlessly cruel. But Veronica has never tried to break it off with Logan. Because Logan doesn't take hints. Or rather, he DOES take hints, he process that information, he sinks into a depressed stupor, and then he pretends he is completely oblivious so he doesn't have to deal with their clear relationship issues. Primarily the fact that she doesn't really want to BE in a relationship with him.

She doesn't love Logan, not in the way he wants her to, and it isn't fair. It just isn't fair. So often, Logan is whiny and goopy and needy. And that wasn't what she had signed on for! She was looking for the bad boy of Hollywood royalty and his long line of casual sexual conquests! And while that was most certainly the image he presented to the world, once she got him, he turned out to be a serial monogamist with a side of masochism! She's seventeen, rich, and beautiful – she's an heiress, for fuck's sake. These are supposed to be her wild years!

She's not the weird one. Logan is the weird one. Logan is the one who wants to settle down at SIXTEEN. Hell may well have frozen over because Lilly is the one being sensible here. The one who recognizes that they are far too young to pledge their troth. This isn't a medieval romance. Their life expectancy isn't thirty-five. There is time, for God's sake.

And she tried, damn it. She gave him plenty of outs. She got distant and acted like a total bitch in the hopes that he'd break it off with her and save his own tender pride. And when that didn't work, she broke it off with him for good reasons, for stupid reasons, for any reason at all. But then she'd miss him, and he was never more eloquent than when he was trying to get back in her bed. She'd succumb, and it would be nice for a while. Total adoration is an opiate too, and she found it hard to quit. But then all the same problems would crop up: his jealousy, HER jealousy, his need to define their relationship with all these boundaries, her need to be constantly moving on - it was exhausting. So she started cheating on him.

But no manner of sleeping with other boys had made the slightest bit of difference. And then THAT had gone farther than she intended, and then there was Eli, and... Anyway, it hadn't changed anything. Logan drank more and surfed more and sulked more, but he didn't confront her. He didn't want to know. But there was one thing. One thing she could do which he would never forgive. One thing that would break them out of this stupid, painful cycle.

She has no illusion about her suitability as girlfriend material, at least where Logan is concerned. She's not romantic. She is not good at compromise. She's fun and exciting, but she can also be malicious and spiteful. But's that who she is! It isn't fair for Logan to demand she be someone other than who she is! She needs someone like her, someone content to live in the moment, someone who accepts the vagaries of life, someone who holds on to the raggy edges of society just for the thrill of it. Someone with a motorcycle.

And Logan deserves… Not better. But certainly different. Logan deserves different than Lilly. She can't make him happy, and his clutching affections are certainly not doing much to keep her spirits up. At first it had been intoxicating, the way she could toss him out and then reel him back in. Everyone loves being loved. But eventually, it just got suffocating. She and Logan were choking the happiness out of each other.

Sleeping with Aaron was never about attraction. It was about repulsion. Because there was nothing in the world that Logan hated more than his father. Lilly had always chalked that up as a product of the way Logan had rebelled against a life in front of the camera, the same way she had chafed at the control of Celeste and acted out. But now it's pretty patently clear that there was more to it than that. She finally understands how someone who moves with such smooth grace could be so apparently clumsy when out of her sight, and she's sick to her stomach.

She should have twigged that day when she spotted the camera. She'd thought he was just a voyeur! A chill runs down her spine as her fingers close on the three little tapes, and she jumps down from her rickety perch. She was lucky, and when she gets back downstairs, she'll tell them so. She'll apologize – which is minding blowing in itself - but she is resolute. She was foolish, and they saved her. She can forgive them, can forgive Veronica's abandonment and Logan's possessiveness, because they came through for her in the end. While it has been a challenging week, things are starting to right themselves. Despite their anger and frustration, they still love her best.

Her thoughts are running a mile a minute in her own head, and she doesn't even notice her brother standing at the patio door until she runs into him, bouncing against his tensed musculature. A swift glance over his shoulder tells her everything she needs to know about his sudden paralysis.

Something hot and acid swims in her chest, and it throbs painfully. If Duncan were in a saner place, he'd be able to hear the thrum of her unshed tears as she whispers archly into Duncan's ear, "My, my. He really goes for those Kane girls, doesn't he."

* * *

><p>Lilly's bump and her tight, cold words are just enough to slightly throw off Duncan's balance, and his gear bag and cleats slip from his shoulder to fall heavily against the concrete of the patio. Veronica and Logan swing to look at their audience and their wide eyes take in the Kane siblings watching them. They spring apart, Veronica hastily shrugging off Logan's arms.<p>

From behind the teens, Celeste calls out, "Duncan? Honey? What the hell have you done this time, Lilly?" The dulcet tones of the matriarch seem to restart everyone's stopped internal clock, and they start bustling about. Lilly and Duncan clear a path for their parents who step bewildered out onto the patio deck, followed closely by Clarence Wiedman.

Wiedman strides past them into the backyard and stops unnoticed beside Leo, who is still rechecking Aaron's vitals. A consummate professional who is available day and night to the Kane family and the Kane corporation, Wiedman quickly takes in the measure of the scene. He glances _surrepti__tiously _at the deputy; a new young man, incredibly green, and as yet uncorrupted by either graft or tabloids. Perfect. He claps a hand on Leo's shoulder as the deputy stands up, and Leo rocks back startled.

"I'm Clarence Wiedman, head of security. What's the situation?" says the stately and dangerous looking man before Leo.

"There has been a tasing incident," Leo says, bluffing his way through the conversation with more confidence than he feels. This had most definitely not been covered in his training manual. "I'm just going to call in the paramedics."

Wiedman crouches beside Aaron's still motionless body and checks his pulse and breathing. The actor is in stable condition, and Weidman heaves an inaudible sigh of relief. His night just got a hell of a lot easier. "Given the sensitive nature of his condition," says Wiedman, vaguely motioning to Aaron's urine-stained pants, "And his stardom, you won't win any prizes for bringing in more personnel. If anybody lets slip a word, much less takes a picture, Echolls' lawyers will have you out of the department so quickly your head will spin."

Leo hesitates, clearly conflicted, and Wiedman continues in a steady and reassuring voice. "Go call it in. There has been a minor altercation at the Kane residence. Tell them Kane security is taking over the scene. That's all you need to say. Mr. Echolls is in stable condition, and he'd be much more comfortable with receiving care from his own private physician. There's no reason to make this into a circus."

Leo's brow furrows, but he nods slowly. He's new, but he's not stupid. There is a lot more to this than appears, but he doesn't want to know. He doesn't want to know almost as much as they don't want to tell him. So much for a quiet little beach town. Wiedman claps him on the shoulder with a bright smile, and Leo walks back to his cruiser to call in the incident, throwing one worried glance over his shoulder at the Sherriff's daughter.

"Lilly, what the hell is going on? What did you do?" Celeste stands with her arms crossed over her chest and getting right in her daughter's face. Lilly says nothing, her face gleaming haughty and brittle.

"Logan?" says Jake, a little desperately.

Logan just shrugs and turns away, refusing to meet the eyes of Jake Kane. Any Kane, really. Everyone is refusing to look at Veronica, as well, and she sorts busily through her bag to keep herself occupied, replacing her taser.

Wiedman is familiar with the complicated dynamics of Kane-Mars relations, but he's also aware that the only person here likely to give an even half-way straightforward answer is Veronica. Leo clearly didn't understand what he'd just witnessed, and that was all to the good. But Weidman needs answers. "Ms. Mars, what do you think happened?" he says pointedly.

Veronica eyes narrow as she repeats, "What do I THINK happened?" She searches the imposing head of security's expression, huffs a small angry sigh through her nose, and closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again, her eyes are filled with a banked heat. Slowly, she says, "I suppose I must have overreacted."

Her words are clipped and her tone disgusted as she replays her sanitized version of the night's events. "I was simply having a civil conversation with Logan when I noticed a discreet camera lens pointed over the bed. I was curious, so I explored the hidden cabinet and found a note from Lilly hidden inside Mr. Echolls' secret camera set-up. I'm sure it is exclusively for security purposes, even if the cameras do seem to be oddly aimed."

Celeste grimaces at Lilly who steadfastly ignores her mother as Veronica continues, "Now I can see that the whole thing was in jest, but I raced over here with Logan, concerned that there had been some... misunderstanding... between Lilly and Mr. Echolls. Well, I stumbled into what looked like a physical altercation. I'm sure I simply walked in at the wrong moment, but I panicked and used my taser on Mr. Echolls."

Her voice anything but contrite, Veronica continues, "I am so sorry for the mistake I made, but I hope you can see it was done out of a desire to make sure my friend was safe."

Lilly is staring at Veronica, slightly slack-jawed, when the smaller blonde grabs for one of the tapes in her friend's hand. "In fact, when he awakes, please tell Mr. Echolls how terribly sorry I am. Tell him I'm going to keep one of these tapes from his private collection as a reminder to myself of the importance of not jumping to conclusions."

Weidman nods, stone-faced, but with the ghost of a smile hovering hear the corners of his mouth. Leo returns just in time to catch the end of her litany and places his hand on her shoulder. She turns, and the comfortable smile she gives him almost makes the whole hellish night worth it.

He bends to her ear and whispers conspiratorially, "Veronica? Seriously, what the hell just happened?" Veronica just shakes her head blearily, the smile and a subtly quirked eyebrow promising she'll explain later. She leans into his impeccably starched beige uniform, and her head falls heavily against the hollow of his shoulder. Leo drapes an arm around her waist to bear her up.

"Take me home, Leo" she yawns. Leo nods with a small, indulgent smile, and they make their way slowly to the cruiser.

While the elder Kanes and Wiedman powwow in the background, two penetrating stares - one blue, one brown - follow the course of the police cruiser down the street. Their simultaneous reveries are interrupted by the practiced throat-clearing of a senior executive.

"Logan, I think you'd better get your father home," Jake Kane says, a tight smile screwed to his features. "Mr. Wiedman assures me there is no need to seek emergency medical attention, but I've contacted Dr. Walters, and he'll stop by to make sure everything is A-OK. Mr. Weidman says he'll you get your father into bed for a good night's sleep," Jake continues, straining for an upbeat joviality.

Logan blinks blankly and then nods. Wiedman and Logan each take an arm and heft Aaron's dead weight onto their shoulders as they carry the unconscious star towards the spacious backseat of the Xterra.

"I'm going with them," says a voice behind Jake.

Duncan hasn't spoken a word since he spotted Logan and Veronica in their kiss, and everyone has kind of forgotten he's there.

Jake and Celeste exchange a small panicked look. If Duncan has another attack, or, even worse, airs Kane family laundry... Jake, startled, stutters out, "Duncan, you've had such a long day. Don't you think you'd better..."

"I know you always have my best interests at heart - you have proved that to me over and over again," says Duncan, interrupting with a cool smile, "but I have a friend in need, and it's my duty to help him. Let's say Veronica inspired me."

Jake rubs the back of his neck uncertainly, and glances to Celeste. She rolls her eyes in annoyance and stalks off briskly.

"It's settled then," says Duncan, a chill in his voice. "I'll ride with Logan."

**A/N 2: I feel like I've been pretty hard on Lilly up to this point, but I DO NOT think Lilly is an evil character. She did some pretty crappy things in canon though, and I'd like to see her both deal with that aftermath and explain her motivations a little. Let me know what you think of this Lilly - I'm super curious to see if you think she somewhat redeems herself or if I have made her too totally horrible to save!**

**A/N 3: Big, BIG thanks to everyone who has reviewed and put me up over one hundred reviews! I'm ridiculously grateful you guys! So grateful in fact, that it seems selfish to ask for yet more feedback. But I'm gonna do it anyway! Whoohoo! Any and all reviews and con-crit are most fervently desired!**


	9. Chapter 9: My Best Friend's Girl

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,632**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N 1: I'm all done making promises. I have nothing to offer but my apologies and a bunch of excuses about IRL boring-ness. Still, here is a chapter, and I'll do my best (NO PROMISES!) not to make you wait another month for the next one...**

**A/N 2: Apologies for the buggy 1st upload... Lost an entire section in there, but this should be correct and complete :)**

Chapter 9: My Best Friend's Girl...

Aaron is wheezing quietly in the back, his breathing unlabored and restful. And that's fucking unfair, because in the front seat Logan is having a pretty hard time drawing breath. His hands clench and unclench on the steering wheel rhythmically and the muscle in his jaw tightens as he stares up at the stoplight, willing it to change. When did they start measuring out the lights in geological time!

And he can't even turn his gaze away from the road because Duncan has him on lockdown, staring in such a way that Logan can feel all of the hairs on the back of his neck standing up individually. Logan has a lot of experience waiting out tense situations, but this? This is seriously going to kill him. There is no painless way to have this conversation, but he was at least hoping for the weekend's reprieve. Hoping he could actually figure out what the hell was going on in his life before he had to deal with the collapse of his most important remaining relationship. But Duncan is sitting there, glowering, and then he makes this little disgusted scoff in the back of his throat...

And all of the sudden, Logan is furious. He's done a fair amount of bad in his life, but he's pretty sure NONE of this is his fault. Yes, his dad is a creepy, cradle-robbing voyeur, and yes, Duncan's ex had just kissed him, but so what! DUNCAN dumped HER, and she left with Deputy Derp, anyway. And that aches in ways that are stupid, and presumptuous, and which he would rather avoid thinking about in the first place, but Duncan is making that all but impossible! He swings his own gaze to Duncan and replicates the grimace he sees there. "What! Just say it!"

"How long have you been screwing Veronica behind my back?"

Logan's jaw collapses open in shock. Duncan looks almost as surprised at his harsh words, but he rallies quickly.

"Are you serious! Do you even know Veronica?" Logan hisses, his hands beating out an angry rhythm on his steering wheel to punctuate his words.

Duncan falters, but he's not ready to abandon his anger just yet. "So it was my imagination when I saw your tongue snaking down her esophagus?"

Logan's guilt flares, and he covers with indignance and half truth, "Yeah, that was most definitely your imagination. Any tongue was added in post production. And besides, SHE was kissing ME, not the other way around!"

Duncan's chin juts out petulantly, "And that's somehow better!"

Logan shrugs violently, "I don't know dude! And here I thought you were the one who broke up with her!"

For the split second before his friend drops his head into his hands, Logan can see the turmoil on Duncan's face. "Yeah. I know. God. Sorry. Dude, I'm sorry."

Logan is woefully ill-equipped to deal with Duncan's breakdown and watches his friend warily as if he were a live grenade. Quietly appeasing, he mutters to his friend , "Hey. It was nothing, man. Less than nothing. Lilly said... It doesn't matter... Anyway, Veronica was just trying to get my attention. And she's too short to efficiently slap me. Seriously, fifteen minutes before she was kissing me, she was telling me what an asshole I was."

Duncan lets out a small, mirthless chuckle, but he doesn't say anything else, his head still buried in his hands.

Logan hesitates, and then steels himself. "Are you sure Celeste isn't lying? It wouldn't be the first time... Like when she told us our cell phones wouldn't work in the 02 neighborhood and we would be attacked and nobody would come round to save us. Or the thing with Molly and the garden. Your mom is not exactly a beacon of truth."

Duncan's head shoots up, his eyebrows drawn together in consternation. "You... What?" Then his expression clears, and he says with a pained snort, "Lilly." Duncan's head drops back into his hands, and Logan hears his muffled reply, "Mom wouldn't make something like this up. It's a little dramatic and sordid even for her. And Dad didn't deny it."

Logan nods, staring at the road, and the Xterra leaps away as the light finally changes and he lays on the gas. The rest of the drive is quiet, neither boy willing to continue such a difficult conversation and both plunged deeply into their own thoughts.

The driveway is blessedly free of paparazzi, and Wiedman pulls up behind them as the ornate brass gate slowly swings wide. Between the three of them, they manage to wrestle Aaron up to his room where the doctor and his PA are waiting.

Wiedman is briskly efficient, speaking sotto voce to the doctor and handling all the details. Logan and Duncan stand on opposite sides of the door, staring blankly into space and subconsciously mirroring each other. They both follow Wiedman downstairs without sparing the other a glance.

Logan stops in the doorway, watching the retreating Kane heir with his private fixer and hesitating. Eventually, he quietly calls out, "She's really hurting, man. She doesn't know what she did. If she's your sister... Either way, you'll have to fix this."

Duncan freezes and looks over his shoulder, "I can't fix it. I can't do anything. It's done. All I can do is avoid her and hope it gets easier."

Logan grimaces, "And if it never does? When she finds some other guy, when she graduates, when she leaves for good? What then?"

Duncan shrugs, his face pained, "Good. I look forward to that day. That's better, in the end."

Logan's frustration bubbles over, "You'd never tell her? You'd never find out the whole truth? You'd just let her go like that? That easily!"

Duncan turns away again to look at Wiedman, now standing stiffly by his black Beemer and waiting, "Not easily. But yeah. That's the only choice I have."

He doesn't see Logan's dark expression as he stalks back to the town car.

* * *

><p>Monday morning, Lilly is waiting at his locker, which is beyond bizarre. She never just hung around waiting for him, not when they were dating, and he approaches with the slow wariness of someone adept at walking on eggshells. She glances at him for a second before her nerve fails, and he watches her steel herself with a flick of her long blonde hair over her shoulder, turning to him. The smile she gives him is tense and chagrined, but genuine, and it does absolutely nothing to put Logan's mind at ease...<p>

"Lilly," says Logan, formally as he steps up to her and gently shoulders her aside to open his locker.

"Logan," she parrots back with false solemnity, smiling. It falters a bit when Logan won't meet her eye and continues pointedly searching his locker.

She steps closer to him, her hand catching the door of his locker as he attempts to close it, and he finally unwillingly glances at her. Her pasted-on smile is unconvincing at these close quarters, and he can see how tenuous her calm is. He takes pity and turns to her, his jaw setting slightly.

Her smile blooms just a little in thanks before she quickly stammers out, "I promise you, I didn't know. But I should have. And this," she says gesturing a little with the tape, "is insurance."

Logan's distaste is palpable, and he pushes the proffered tape back at Lilly. In harsh but hushed tones, Logan mutters, "The only good thing about this situation is that I didn't actually SEE you porking my dad. Don't take that from me, please."

Lilly flushes with something that looks dangerously like embarrassment or shame, and she stutters uncomfortably, "...You don't have to watch... You don't need to do anything but let him know that it exists. This is something you put in a safety deposit box and forget about unless you need it."

Logan's jaw flexes subtly, and he hisses under his breath, petulantly, "I'm fine. I've BEEN fine. Two years. That's all I have left. Do you think this changes anything? Honestly, Lilly, after all this, what difference does it make?"

As she palms the last tape and places it in his hand, she wraps her fingers around his wrist and holds tight. She smiles softly as she says, "It might change things. And it makes a difference to me. I guess I'd much rather have you think of me as an oblivious bitch than as an intentional sadist," and she steps up on tiptoe and kisses his cheek.

Pressed against him, she whispers in his ear, "Please. Give me this. Let there be one bright spot to my colossal fuck up."

Pulling back, Logan looks into Lilly's eyes and sees an entirely unfamiliar creature there. This new Lilly is repentant and vulnerable and uncertain. After one long searching look, he nods his acquiescence and smiles hesitantly. For so long, Logan could forgive Lilly anything. Just once more, just a little. For old time's sake.

Lilly smiles more broadly and pulls her hand out of his, leaving the tape behind. She looks back at him as she does a cheerful little hop down the hallway, and he buries the tape in a deep internal pocket in his bag. Suddenly aware of their poorly-disguised voyeurism, everyone watching abruptly bustles about and makes too much noise. As if this will fool either Lilly and Logan, experienced as they are in being surveyed.

Madison smirks as she watches Lilly skip away. She's still smirking when she steps into class and spots Veronica. She plops down into the seat behind Veronica, pokes Shelly Pomeroy with a quick jab, and says in a stage whisper, "Lilly and Logan are back on."

Shelly glances at Veronica's back and plays along gamely, though she subtly soothes the bruise Madison gave her, "Well, they are epic after all."

Madison cuts a look to Veronica's stiff frame and says with a simper, "I know, right? When you have something real like they do, stupid rumors and nosy sluts just don't figure into it in the long run." Grinning cruelly, Madison watches with satisfaction as Veronica's white-knuckle grip on her pencil tightens until a small snap is heard...

* * *

><p>She's standing at her locker, manically stuffing things into her bag, when he comes up behind her. He reaches out to tap her shoulder and she jumps, startled at his touch. Turning to him with a wobbly smile as she pulls her messenger bag across her body, Veronica attempts to wave him off, "I'm sorry Logan, I've got to go. I'm meeting Leo in fifteen minutes."<p>

"Leo?" Logan says, blankly.

Veronica flushes just a little, "Deputy D'Amato. From last night."

Logan's jaw tenses and his eyes flash, but Veronica doesn't see it. She's too busy staring past him longingly at the door to the parking lot.

Twisting the shoulder strap of her messenger bag in sweaty knots, Veronica gives Logan a short glance and quickly drops her hands to her sides when she catches herself in such a blatant tell. She takes a deep breath and attempts to shake off her nervous expression. "Logan... Last night... That was just... I just needed you to snap out of it."

Logan feels a twinge run through his chest, but he just scratches the back of his neck as he shrugs, "Yeah, of course. I mean, that was what I assumed. I told Duncan as much."

She has a shocked little scoff and then smiles brittlely, "Well. Fantastic. Glad we're all on the same page. And I'm so glad you guys are entirely simpatico! And discussing me behind my back. Well, after all, what are best friends for? And congratulations on getting together with Lilly. You two really are regular comeback kids. All that kissing and holding hands in the hall. It's adorable! "

Logan's brow crinkles and he goes to interrupt, but Veronica cuts him off, a hand pressed against her forehead, her eyes closed, and her face penitent. "Sorry. That was nasty. I know what Lilly means to you. So good for you. It's kind of incredible. Your forgiveness knows no bounds." He thinks he hears her whisper in the next breath, "For some, anyway," but instantly her shuttered smile is back, and she step past him.

Logan throws out an arm to block her way and says, "Seriously, we need to talk." She glances with annoyance at his arm, and Logan snatches it out of her way but doesn't move out of her path. She crinkles her brow and opens her mouth to refuse, but he cuts her off abruptly, "Meet me at Dog Beach at 6, and I'll tell you why Duncan broke up with you."

For a split second she looks eager, but then she smiles a little warily, "Yeah, well, fool me once Logan..."

He shakes his head decisively, "No games. Just meet me there. And then we never have to speak again," he finishes with a half-hearted attempt at his trademark smirk.

She just nods and then steps around him awkwardly, rushing through the halls to get to her car. This is only the second most horrible conversation she's going to have today, and she's nearly late for her meeting at the Sherriff's Office.

* * *

><p>Fifteen too-short minutes later, Veronica is pulling up outside the Balboa Sherriff's Department with only the barest bones of an excuse worked out. Leo leans against the building with a smirk, but she can read the notes of quiet panic in his eyes . What she says in the next twenty minutes may well determine Leo's future success in the department, not to mention decide her own ultimate fate andor compulsion into a nunnery. She still believes she made the best possible choice given her options. Now she just has to convince her father of the same without ever giving him the true specifics of last night's unfortunate incident.

As he greets her at the door, Veronica can tell that he is pretty close to freaking. Veronica has been dreading this meeting with her father, but Leo has been a basket case all day. He smiles a little too widely as he ushers her in. "It'll be fine. You have him wrapped around your finger. Right!" The dangerously high rising inflection at the end of his question has Veronica snickering in spite of herself, but she is chastened by his baleful look.

"Sorry. As for the finger thing... We'll have to see. I've never had to push it this far..." she whispers as Inga announces their arrival to her father.

Keith smiles as two of his favorite young people enter, but when he catches sight of their own megawatt smiles, his eyes narrow. "Veronica. Deputy D'Amato. Deputy, I understand you want to make some clarifications of last night's report. And Miss Mars is here to assist in that? Please, have a seat."

Ridiculously eager, they both clamber into the chairs placed in front of the sheriff's desk with what they hope are matching guileless expressions. He stares down at them like a stern but benevolent elementary school principal discovering minor malfeasance from a favorite pupil. Regarding them carefully, Keith subtly shakes his head, but makes no further comment. "Leo, last night you called in a disturbance at the Kane residence, correct?"

"That's correct sir," replies Leo, quickly.

"And you reported an injury, possible assault. But no arrest was made, despite all primary parties still being on scene?" Keith says, relishing his role as inquisitor.

Leo swallows thickly, "At the time, I was informed that no charges were going to be filed. Furthermore, in the intervening hours, I have learned that the incident arose from a case of mistaken identity and that no actual injury was incurred. All parties involved have agreed to seek no further action from this incident."

"So, am I to understand that you called this meeting to make me aware that essentially NOTHING happened last night?" says Keith with painstaking slowness.

"That's correct," says Leo, quailing just slightly.

"Well. Okay then. Thank you for your diligence, Deputy D'Amato. You're dismissed." Leo and Veronica both move for the door, but stop as Keith continues, "Not you Veronica." Leo shrugs and makes an apologetic face as he sneaks out the door. Veronica just watches him sourly through the glass before turning back to her father with a sugary smile.

"You want to try this again?" Keith asks, gesturing for her to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I really don't think I have anything to add to Deputy D'Amato's excellent report. Boy, that kids is going places, amiright?" says Veronica, determinedly cheerful as she throws herself down in the chair.

"Okay, I guess it's time to abandon euphemism. Did you or did you not taser Aaron Echolls?" Keith huffs in exasperation.

"I maintain that I thought he was a rabid badger. I'll take a polygraph. You can't pin this on me," Veronica bites out, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Veronica," and this time there is no playfulness in his tone. "Will this come back and bite you? In any way? Can I trust your judgment in this?"

Her smile is tight, but genuine. "You can. Mistakes were made last night, but they weren't mine. I'm covered."

"And Logan? Is he covered? Lilly and Duncan?" Keith asks quietly. Veronica's gaze shoots to him, her mouth dropping open. She shuts it with a snap, and pauses for a moment.

"Everyone's fine. I think some things may even have been rectified," she finally replies quietly.

Keith nods slowly, "Good. Okay. Well then. I'm deferring your admittance to the convent, but no more tasering incidents young lady. You're on thin ice."

Veronica pouts prettily, "No pony again this year, hunh?"

Keith folds her in a hug and kisses the crown of her head. "All pony privileges are indefinitely suspended. Now, go. Before I can't control myself and accidentally enroll you in a scared straight program."

Veronica jumps up and gives her father a smart salute, bouncing out the doorway and closing the office door behind her with a sharp click. And only then does she exhale.

* * *

><p>She considered not meeting him at Dog Beach. For all of five seconds. Veronica is a girl with a number of strong internal motivators, but nothing drives her like the need for truth.<p>

When she finally finds him, Logan seems to be in deep meditation. He could have been there for minutes or millennia, gazing coolly out with that brooding, bruising intensity. She gets tired just looking at him. He is sitting in the shade of the same dune where he went to escape Lilly's betrayal, and he is again staring, unseeing, at the horizon. Veronica is overcome by a terrible sense of weary deja vu as she drops down into the sand beside him.

"How long have you known about my dad?" says Logan, an incredibly awkward opener.

She huffs, annoyed and off-center, "I thought we agreed no games! But again, it's Twenty Questions!"

Logan shakes his head absently, still not looking at her. "Not Twenty Questions. Just one."

She tries waiting him out, but no dice. Finally Veronica sighs, "I guess, probably, my suspicions arose after that 'surfing trip' the summer before last with your family where you came back with the welts on your back. I don't surf, but I'm pretty sure you don't sharpen the edge of the board. Or emboss them with the same classic leatherwork designs that appear on the belt your dad kept from his time on that Lonesome Dove knock-off. When I noticed how much more careful you apparently were when your father was on location, everything kind of clicked into place."

"So you've known for a year and you never said anything? Not even to your dad?" Logan is only trying to clarify, but he's obviously hit a nerve. He feels, rather than sees, her shoulders draw up in angry tension.

Now she's indignant, "Don't you think I wanted to! YOU didn't want anyone to know! You made that very clear with your endless unlikely-but -fiercely-defended excuses! I agonized over what to do for months, but in the end I knew you'd never cop to it. Don't pretend you would have been willing to admit to the abuse, much less to testify! The best I could do was minimize the damage."

A lot of her behavior is starting to add up. Veronica's careful maneuvering of his drunken antics into the relative privacy of the pool house. Her obsequious bowing and scraping to Aaron. Her terse politeness to his mother. Her wet blanket act which was most likely to appear when Aaron was in town. Perhaps Lilly wasn't the only one in this situation who had missed some crucial clues.

"Why?" Logan asks, finally turning to look Veronica in eye. But now she's turning away from him, still fuming.

"EEEEEnnnnhhhh," she says, imitating an annoying buzzer sound, "Sorry, your turn is over. Why did Duncan break up with me?"

Logan takes a deep breath. "You're his sister."

Beside him Veronica lets out a pained sigh. "Thanks Logan. What an immense waste of time," she says as she begins to get up.

Logan shakes his head sharply, still staring blankly into the middle distance. Veronica falls back into the sand with a quiet thump, hesitating. Logan starts again. "Your mom's from here, right? So is Jake. Celeste seems to believe that they never ended their high school romance. I don't know if it's true. But Duncan seems pretty sure. And Lilly to."

He doesn't actually hear her leave, but when he finally looks up several minutes later, he isn't surprised to find out she is gone.

**A/N 3: As always, reviews and con-crit are most deeply appreciated! Let me know what you're thinking :)**


	10. Chapter 10: Photographs and Memories

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 2,678**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N 1: Very late and a bit shorter, but a new chapter all the same. Winding down now. It looks like two more chapters, unless they get away from me again- which is a real possibility, unfortunately.**

**A/N 2: Apologies for the buggy 1st upload... Lost some bits in there, but this should be correct and complete :)**

Chapter 10: Photographs and Memories

Veronica has never gotten blackout drunk. She's never lost time- hours or even days- represented as completely blank spaces in her memory. She's never woken up somewhere strange with no memory of how she got there. Logan has sheepishly described it to her, and she is fairly certain she has seen the same sort of embarrassed, bleary look in her mother's eyes, but she has no direct reference for what it feels like to awake from an alcohol induced dark-night-of-the-soul. But it probably feels a lot like this. Boneless. Brainless. Broken.

Like a blackout drunk, she has no memory of how she got back from the beach into the dusty confines of the attic. She can hear Logan saying things, things which couldn't be true, and she runs. But then she remembers that look in his eyes and remembers that Lilly lies to her, all the time. Duncan must have lied to her, or she could never have been blindsided by his sudden absence the way she was. Her parents lie to her in all the small, white ways that parents do. But Logan never has. He's held things back that maybe he shouldn't have, and he's told her things she had no business knowing, but he's never lied to her face.

And Veronica is not the kind of girls who just lets a niggle go. She couldn't even if she wanted to, desperately. And so the idea worms its way into her brain and blooms dramatically, pushing a hot, tear-sticky cloud into every corner of her mind. Her awareness of the passage of time has become fluid, the trip home passing by invisibly, instantaneously. However, she feels certain she has been staring at the double page spread for Neptune High Prom 1980 for hours, possibly days.

Her mother looks blissfully happy in the photo. Her dress is gorgeous, her blonde hair is feathered, and her boyfriend, the future billionaire, is adorably attentive as a random member of the planning committee carefully places the silver plastic crowns on their heads. It's all very sweet, really. Veronica had never imagined that such a cheerful photo could leave her with so much rage...

Which isn't fair on her part, and she knows it. Of course, her mother is entitled to a life before Veronica, however little she can imagine it. She's even allowed a life before Keith, a whole slew of old boyfriends and missed romantic connections. But what she's not allowed is this secret life, the pathetic affair that plays out in Jake's letters...

They fan out around her in a half circle, dog-eared and soft from years of repeated readings and re-foldings. She's read them all, stacked them in neat little piles, and laid them out in a rough chronology, as if this act of organization can somehow hold back the tide of chaos that is ripping through Veronica's formerly simple life. She is furiously angry on her father's behalf, and she has a pervasive feeling of nausea sitting just at the back of her throat.

There's a photo album full of California teens bleached blonde in the sun, wearing ridiculous clothes and ridiculous expressions of happiness and contentment. There are newspaper clippings too, for all of the early milestones of Jake's meteoric rise, for his wedding, for the birth of his children. Lilly is just over twelve months older than Duncan, and Duncan's only a month and a half older than Veronica. Celeste has never been the maternal type. What had driven her to another pregnancy so soon after Lilly? Maybe an errant husband stepping out with his high school sweetheart... Maybe Lilly and Duncan were a sort of investment, pawns in their mother's game to hold onto Jake. Maybe Veronica was her own mother's attempt at leveling the playing field. It's all so sordid and tawdry. It feels like a tragic romance novel, like it couldn't be real. But it is apparently her life, her parents. Her siblings.

Being with Duncan had never felt wrong or dirty. It had been nice, uncomplicated and innocent. She hadn't burned for him, wanted him the way Lilly talked about wanting her many men, but she had felt comfortable and secure in his arms and his kisses. Wasn't nature supposed to kick in, to give her the subconscious heebie-jeebies if she unwittingly ended up dating her brother! Truthfully, mothers were not coming out so well in this story, neither Lianne nor Mother Nature. Lianne had been friendly to Duncan, and supportive to Veronica though she always stressed the fragile and sometimes fleeting nature of first love. And while Veronica can now see the times when Lianne might have been gently urging her away from Duncan, it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough.

Furious, she slaps her hand through the neat piles of documents detailing her mother's careful and pervasive betrayal and sends them spinning into the musty air of the attic. It's all just paper. The yearbook. The letters. The newspaper clippings, the birth announcements, the photographs. Paper. How can these little scraps of paper unbalance everything she has ever understood about her family and her life! Spitefully, she gathers everything into a pile in her arms, carefully guarded letters crumpling with her rough treatment. She takes several unsteady steps down the rickety attic ladder and then stomps towards the kitchen table and a confrontation with her mother.

Mom isn't home yet, an entirely common occurrence, but now Veronica is second guessing everything. She dumps her pile unceremoniously onto the table and a manila envelope, not as dusty as the rest, lands on top. She hadn't seen this in the attic, but the postmark is recent, only three weeks earlier, and her stomach jumps into her throat as she slumps into a kitchen chair.

Reaching into the envelope, she feels them before she sees them: photographs. A hundred painful possibilities flash through her mind before she pulls them out, but none of her imaginings prepared her for this. Pictures of herself, caught in the cross-hairs of a gun.

And the strangled, painful noise behind her tells her that mother has finally returned home.

* * *

><p>Lianne knows she's not a good person. Keith and Veronica might not know the full scope of her wrongdoing, but they know enough to be disappointed in her. So she drinks to cope with her own hurt feelings, and that only makes them more disappointed. And since she already knows what a bad person she is, there isn't much reason to stop. Might as well go all out. So yes, she knows she's a bad person. But seeing her years of lies spread out on the table, well, it just makes the enormous scope of her betrayal so painfully obvious.<p>

And now her little girl is looking at the new photos, the newest disloyalty, the moment Lianne knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could never, never fix the mess she had created. Veronica is staring unseeingly at the photos, clearly upset, but unable to parse out the true threat. Why was she being held at gunpoint? Who had she hurt? What had she done? Lianne can't explain it to her even now, surrounded by the evidence of her affair and the certain knowledge that Veronica has seen all her secrets. Her heart is in her throat as it was when she first received the photos. It's not the fear that clutched her the first time she saw them, but the shame that she has drawn her innocent daughter into Celeste's power games. Although, in truth, Veronica has always been one of the central causes of Celeste's anger, even if she was blissfully unaware of the cause of her boyfriend's mother's irrational disdain.

There aren't enough apologies in the world to offer her daughter, and the words stick in her throat as she tries to begin. She hears the door behind her open, and she lets out a hysterical little chuckle. With all these perfectly timed entrances, it's like a scene from a movie: the saddest screwball comedy ever committed to celluloid. She stalks to a cupboard, pulls out her secret stash and makes her usual. Four fingers of vodka and two ice cubes splash together unsteadily in her hand.

A good lawman can read a room within seconds of entering. Who skimmed the money and which enforcer is seeing it gets returned. Who hit who first, which woman they're fighting over, and how far the feud goes back. Who has the gun and whether he or she is prepared to use it. Keith Mars has casually walked into hundred of rooms like this, dripping in tension and unspoken rage. In his own home, it's terrifying.

* * *

><p>His wife is crying. His daughter is - pointedly - NOT crying, her cheeks red and shiny with the strain of holding back tears. The kitchen table and the floor around is strewn with letters and papers. Yearbooks and photo albums are haphazardly lying face down on the floor with broken spines. And in the very center of the table on the top of the pile is a set of photos where his pretty little girl peers out from behind the reticule of a sniper's rifle, blissfully unaware that her picture is being taken and a threat is being made.<p>

Lianne see him spot the photos, and her face blanches. She steps quickly to intercept him. His blood boils all over again as Lianne slaps her palm down over the photos, trying to obscure his view. He subconsciously fiddles with the handle of his briefcase and growls quietly, "Don't bother, Lianne. I've seen them."

Her eyes pop open, and it would be comic in any situation where his daughters life hadn't been threatened. Lianne gapes idiotically, "What do you... How dare you Keith! You had no right to go through my things!"

"I'm sorry, are you actually arguing about respecting boundaries?" Keith chuffs out, amused despite himself.

Lianne swallows audibly and opens her mouth to protest, but Keith cuts her off, his voice brutally clipped, "I hate to disappoint you, but I actually found them in your hand while you were passed out on the couch. And you're delusional if you think I could ignore a threat to Veronica. Imagine my OVERWHELMING surprise when I traced those photos back to the Kanes."

One of the photos shows Veronica walking out of the dentist's office, right across from a popular outdoor cafe. He lied to the cafe owner and claimed to be investigating a mugging to get his hands on the security footage. Spotting Weidman and his camera on the grainy black-and-white tape hadn't exactly shocked Keith. The photos had stunk of the dramatic flourishes favored by Celeste. Keith knew he could be reprimanded, even recalled, if anyone found out. What he did was completely unethical. He knows he abused his position as sheriff. He just doesn't care.

Lianne collapses into the chair across from her daughter, and Veronica stares determinedly at the photos, ignoring everything and everyone else in the room. "You had no right," Lianne hisses out quietly through clenched teeth.

Keith's tone is just a shade too sharp as he replies, "Maybe not. Anyway, a lot of what happened wasn't right. But she's my daughter, and mail fraud is the least of what I'd do to protect her." If they only knew...

Lianne balks, "She's not y..." and she swallows her words compulsively. She pauses to collect herself, "She's not in any danger. This is just Celeste playing mind games, just like she's been doing for the last twenty-three years."

Keith looks skeptical, "You sure about that? It's Jake's head of security who took these lovely snaps of our daughter, framed in a gun sight. And forgive me if I don't have absolute faith in your judgment when it comes to him... I know you're still seeing him, even now."

Lianne is taken aback, "Jake would never... He loves her! He would protect her! And I was confronting him about the photos, telling him to get Celeste to back off, that's it!"

"I'm supposed to believe that you were having a strictly platonic conversation about Veronica's well-being at the goddamn Camelot!" Keith bites out, the volume of his voice progressively rising.

"Have you been following me? For Christ's sake... It's none of your business, Keith!" Lianne shrieks out, gesturing wildly at him with her drink.

"None of my business?" he roars out, his jaw tight and his eyes blazing.

"Just stop!" Veronica screams. "Is it my business? I want to know who my father is!" Veronica rasps out in a harsh whisper. The expression on her face suggests she has startled even herself. For one long tense moment, everything is still. Then Lianne leans her head into her hand, bracing her elbows against the table.

Keith coughs uncomfortably and pauses for a minute as he puts his briefcase on the table, clicking it open. "Well you're not the only one, honey. I called in a favor from a friend at the state lab," he says as he tosses a non-descript manila envelope on the table. It looks alarmingly like the envelope holding the photos that started this whole furor. "Haven't had the courage to open it though. I've been carrying it around for a week..."

"Well I don't want to know!" Lianne blurts out, holding her cold, sweating drink against her temple as the ice clinks together musically in the mostly empty glass. She pauses for one long moment, and she can feel their hurt stares boring into her. "It doesn't even matter. It's over either way. No matter what that letter says, I lose all three of you." Her shoulder slump, and she seems to fold in on herself. "I think I'm going to go stay with a friend for awhile. Get my head straight." She drops the glass onto the table, nearly splashing vodka on to the envelope holding the results of the DNA test before Veronica speedily pulls it out of harm's way. The sound is far, far too loud. Everyone cringes.

She sits quietly in the moment after her pronouncement. She might be waiting for them to try to talk her out of it, but she'll be waiting a long time. This is what she had been fearing for Veronica's entire life. The moment they found out. The moment they stopped loving her. And she knows she deserves it, this exile. Greedily, she tried to hold onto everyone she loved, and it cost her everything.

"Don't be like me, baby, whatever you do," she whispers out, staring blankly into the middle distance. "If you love someone, hold on until you can't. And when it's over, when you can't hold on any more, let it go. There is nothing for you in the middle. It's a no man's land of broken hearts."

Without another word, she stands up and stalks off towards their bedroom. They can hear her rummaging through drawers and the loud squeak of hangers scraping against the bar. Veronica and Keith sit quietly, staring at the large manila envelope sitting on the kitchen table until they hear Lianne's car start. Neither moves until the sounds of her engine disappear in the distance.

Veronica scoots forward in her seat and lays her finger tips gingerly against the envelope. "You know this doesn't change anything. Whatever the tests say, I know who my daddy is."

Keith smooths her blonde hair, her mother's hair, out of her eyes. With a small and slightly pained smile, he says, "I think you're stealing my line, kid."

Veronica shakes her head, her eyes pooling but her voice firm, "It doesn't matter who says it, as long as we can both agree it's true."

Keith nods assuredly and scoffs, carefully evincing a counterfeit confidence more solid than his true feelings, "Never a doubt in my mind."

"Okay," says Veronica, exhaling mightily as she pulls the envelope to herself and slides a finger beneath the flap, tearing the seal open. "Then let's do this."

**A/N 3: So Lianne left. I dunno how I feel about that, but I'm not sure they can stay together as one family unit after everything that happened. I think they need a cool-off at the very least. How do you guys see Lianne? Also, currently deciding how to deal with Duncan. Thoughts? Full disclosure: Sorry DuVe shippers (there must be a few, it has an acronym) this one isn't for you.**

**A/N 4: All reviews and con-crit are super appreciated!**


	11. Chapter 11: Something to Talk About

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,347**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N 1: Apologies again, though they're pretty empty if they don't make me any more prompt at finishing a chapter... Sorry :( For some reason this one was a tough one to slog through. May be just that 'getting to the end of a fic' malaise. Still, only one more chapter! It is partially, though not entirely, written. So that's a start.**

Chapter 11: Something to Talk About...

"I'm not your sister." Veronica stands before the Kane siblings, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. Duncan sits blinking blearily, as if his eyes can't adjust to the bright sunshine of the courtyard. A too large bite of burrito dangles from his mouth giving him the appearance of a rather dimwitted animal, until he swallows thickly and self-consciously. A collective hush falls over the other tables as they zero in on the latest installment of Fab Four drama as it unfolds. She clasps her hands in front of her. "Okay then," she says, taking their silence as acquiescence, and then she nods and turns away, her attitude of cool destroyed by the long, nervous steps she makes in her rush back to the quiet safety of the school.

Once the euphoria of being her father's daughter wore off- and once the sharp, immediate pain of her mother's betrayal began to dull just slightly- Veronica had begun to imagine this moment. She wanted to shock them, to upset their carefully imagined worldview the same way the discovery of Jake and Lianne's affair had upset her. How dare they? Who were the Kanes to decide what Veronica did and did not deserve to know about her own life? She fumed imagining it: Lily and Duncan giggling in some dark corner, whispering over their secret knowledge. Even Logan knew about her supposed parentage before her!

She had imagined going over to the Kane mansion, confronting Celeste with the photos, shaming Jake, making a scene. But there was a good chance she'd wind up crying in that scenario, angrily blubbering while they looked on in panicked discomfort, and Veronica couldn't do that. She couldn't let them see how much they had rocked her, how much she feared losing her father despite all their mutual protests that a simple quirk of biology changed nothing, or how much she was still feeling the loss of her mother even as she wrote her off.

And truth be told, she had nothing to say to Jake and Celeste. Veronica had never liked Celeste in the first place, so it was hard to be hurt by her histrionic little photo shoot. And Jake was nothing to her, just her ex-boyfriend's father and a flesh-and-blood symbol of her own mother's deceit. She'd take his money and go to an Ivy League school and. Never. Look. Back.

But Duncan? Lily? They were everything - not the inevitable outcome of biology, but a family she had chosen. And in its own way, their betrayal hurt as much as her mother's. The way Duncan had abandoned her without a word, without a single pang of remorse, without a glance... And Lily, laughing at her behind her back, manipulating her and lying to her... And not for the first time.

So, yeah, there was some anger there. And because of all the secrecy and sneaking, the whole 09er crowd is salivating to find out what Veronica's big sin was. The sudden cooling of her relations with the Kanes has made her a target. Madison and her nasty little comments. Dick pushing her in the pool. So, ultimately, maybe this is an announcement for the whole school.

And really, acknowledging the wedge is just about as shocking as it gets. "Hi Ex-Boyfriend. Turns out I'm not your sister. Totes awesome, right?" So as she walks toward her friends, she seems to settle into a calm, Zen state. So she just says it- baldly, boldly. And as she walks away and hears the harsh whispering begin, she feels lighter than she has in weeks.

In the moments immediately after her announcement, there is no movement from her friends. None at all. And then Duncan leaps up and dashes after her. Lily sighs and her shoulders dip just slightly as she watches her brother rush off, absently wiping her hands on a napkin. The gathered crowd begins to buzz like cicadas as they greedily speculate on this shocking little bit of new gossip, and no one pays any attention to Logan at all as he quietly gets up and strides stiffly towards the parking lot, shoving his lunch tray and all of its contents forcefully into a waiting garbage can as he passes

* * *

><p>It's not a conscious thing, chasing Veronica down. It's more like a surprisingly well-coordinated full body spasm. He's running on epinepherine and oxytocin, his brain flush with feel-good chemicals. Because everything is okay now! He has not been inadvertently lusting after a sibling! All is now right with the world, and his grin is so wide it nearly splits his face in two. As he gallops up behind her, he catches Veronica by the elbow, and not even her ambiguous facial expression can dampen his delight.<p>

"Veronica! I'm so happ... Such great news and... Hi," he finishes, grinning idiotically.

"Hi," she replies with her own smile, albeit one much less enthusiastic.

He gets a look of soft concern on his face as he pauses for a minute. "I'm sorry for just disappearing like that. I didn't know what to say. I just... Couldn't process it, I guess. I'm just so, so sorry V. I just hope that you'll be able to forgive me some day."

He looks so earnest, so ashamedly apologetic that Veronica's smile softens a bit, "Hey. No, I get it. I do. I mean what's the protocol for alerting your girlfriend that you may or may not be related? So forget it, you're forgiven. I don't love that you didn't just come out and tell me," she says, a frown creasing her forehead as she flashes on the image of Lily and Duncan conspiring in her imagination, "But I understand not being able to say the words. Not being able to break someone's heart. You were an asshole, but at least you had good intentions." Her smile is stronger now, and genuine.

Duncan's big smile returns, and he slumps comfortably against the lockers. "So. We start over?"

Weeks out of practice and pre-occupied with other thoughts, she almost doesn't the recognize Duncan's patented lean-in. And when she does catch on, she is too late to gracefully bow out of the kiss. She reels back awkwardly, her eyes wide.

Duncan looks hurt, and her mouth sets in a tight line. He doesn't get to be disappointed about this.

Duncan worries his bottom lip with his teeth. "V? You okay?"

She struggles to recover her composure and blusters, "Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong with you?"

Duncan's brow clouds further, and his mouth opens and closes like a fish's for a moment before he says, "Nothing! But you... You forgave me! I thought we were okay!"

"Okay as in 'okay-we're-friends' not 'okay-lets-check-each-other's-fillings'," Veronica grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest.

Duncan is now entirely lost. "But..."

Veronica heaves a deep sigh, "Duncan, you're important to me. And I get why you did what you did. So I don't blame you for breaking up with me and going radio silent. But I don't really trust you any more either."

HIs eyes are wide as he huffs, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to hurt you! I thought it would be easier that way..."

Veronica nods, "I realize that, okay. I'm not saying you're a sociopath. I don't think you set out to annihilate me, but you kind of did it anyway. You're not who I thought you were, and I don't think you have a very good idea of who I am either..." And with those words, she turns on her heel and strides down the hallway while Duncan blinks at unseeingly, completely at sea yet again.

Duncan shuffles back to the lunch table and slumps down beside his sister, his features pensive.

"So..." Lily drawls, "How'd that go, Champ?"

Duncan sighs deeply. "She's mad. But that's fair." His features brighten, "It's okay though. I love her. I just have to keep working on her. It'll work out."

Lily snorts uncharitably. "You love her, hunh? Is that why you abruptly decided she no longer existed?"

Duncan's mouth twists sadly before he sets his jaw and turns to face his sister. "As a matter of fact, it is. And you know that. And why the high-and-mighty act now? You didn't tell her either!"

Lily nods, the scorn wiped away. "Keith is such a good guy. Much as I wanted her for a dyed-in-the-wool sister, I wouldn't wish Jake on her."

Duncan's brow wrinkles, "Well, Dad's not a BAD guy, Lil."

Lily scoffs. "He cheated on Mom. However much a bitch she is, that's not the move of a loving parent. But Veronica's mom is no real prize either. I'd hate for V to lose Keith. It must be nice to have one parent who isn't a scumbag."

Duncan shifts uncomfortably in is seat, making a small noise of protest in the back of his throat, but he stills as Lily clamps her hand down on his arm. "You don't have to act like it's all okay all the time! God! Aren't you angry?"

If Duncan has a button labeled "Do Not Push", Lily has just found it.

Duncan's lip curls sharply, and the sudden way his eyes go dark surprises even Lily. "Of course I'm angry. But what do you want me to say? What am I supposed to do? Please, if you have any idea, you have to tell me!"

He's getting a little hysterical as he continues. "I thought I could trust Mom and Dad, that they were protecting me! That's reasonable, right? That they wouldn't want to hurt me! How was I supposed to guess that they had been lying to me, medicating me, breaking me because they just couldn't be bothered to be honest! And now I have ruined everything, and I've lost Veronica, and it was all for nothing! So yeah, I'm pissed off! But I don't have any energy to waste on being angry with them, not if I want Veronica back!"

Duncan's chest heaves as he comes down from his tirade. Her lips delicately pursed, Lily watches her little brother as he tries to compose himself. She regards him with one raised eyebrow before asking quietly, "What did she actually say?"

Duncan lets his head fall into his hands, his elbows braced on the table as he stares determinedly through the holes in the table down at his feet. "She said that she understood why I did what I did, but that it didn't change the fact that she couldn't trust me. She said that I wasn't who she thought I was. She said I didn't know her."

Lily punches him in the arm to get his attention and when he rears up angrily, she startles him by staring deeply into his eyes, completely serious. "And how well do you know Veronica? What exactly do you love about her? Tell me."

Duncan gapes, but says nothing and shakes his head dismissively.

Rolling her eyes, Lily continues, "Not a rhetorical question, Donut. I'm waiting."

Duncan sits, thinking and scrubbing with an open palm at his temple. "I love that she's beautiful. That she's kind. That she's gentle and shy. The way she lets me take care of her. I don't know, when she looks at me with this look, like I'm the best thing she's seen. That she loves me. That she trusts me."

The way his face collapses in that moment pulls at Lily's heartstrings. She's always thought her brother is a little too staid, too careful. Boring, even. But she loves him, doesn't want to see him hurt this way. It makes her angry at her parents all over again. However this turns out, she will never again feel guilty for making her parents embarrassed or uncomfortable or disappointed because she can't imagine any two people more disappointing than them. But still...

"The Veronica you described... I don't really recognize her. Shy and gentle girls don't tend to taze people," Lily says quietly, "Maybe she doesn't need your protection so much."

"And she's already said she doesn't trust me," Duncan says, his tone flat and resigned. "So it's fair to assume she's never going to look at me that way again..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not sure I know her either," Lily says, as she lays her head on her brother's shoulder. "I really thought she'd have my back on the whole Logan thing."

Duncan gives her a skeptical look, and Lily glances at his face defensively, "Which is, in retrospect, pretty dumb. Fine, I realize that. But I just thought she loved me best..."

Duncan shakes his head sadly, "How's she supposed to love someone who just stops talking to her for no apparent reason? Or someone who tries to manipulate her into hurting a friend? And then we just thought it'd be okay, that she would laugh it off? What the hell is wrong with us, Lily? Were disgusting people, we don't' deserve to breathe the same..."

Lily turns against her brother and pulls him into a tender hug though her tone is exasperated, "God, Donut, stop being so dramatic. We fucked up. And maybe things don't go back to how they were. But that's okay. That doesn't mean the end of the world. That doesn't mean it's over. We'll just have to make our apologies and try to do better." She pulls back from the hug and peeks towards the school, "And on that note..." She swings her glance back to her brother and gives him a small smile. He just nods and waves his hands at her in a shooing motion and goes back to contemplating his shoes.

Lily has an apology to make, and there is no time like the present.

* * *

><p>Lily finds her reading in a secluded corner in the library. If anyone asks she is STUDYING, although it looks an awful lot like she is HIDING. Lily plants herself in Veronica's eyeline and quietly stares until Veronica looks up with a put-upon sigh and glares at her best friend.<p>

Lily holds out her hand like a missionary going door to door, and repeats in that same type of relentlessly upbeat voice, "Hi. I'm here for a searingly painful personal conversation full of tears and recriminations but ultimately ending in a reconciliation and, hopefully, a modicum of personal growth. I hope I'm not late."

"I DID kind of expect you sooner, actually," Veronica says with another weary sigh, "But I think I can fit you in."

"Yeah, well, I had to tend to my brother's broken heart first," says Lily with just a hint of sharpness.

Veronica's shoulders slump a little, and she looks apologetic. "Lily..." she begins, but her friend cuts her off.

"It's fine, V. He gets it. And he'll get over it, given time. You weren't wrong about him not really knowing you. And you know how bad he is at dealing with conflict. Did you know his piano teacher called him Donald for six months because he couldn't bring himself to correct her? So you can imagine why he couldn't tell you..."

"And what about you?" Veronica volleys back tightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lily shrugs non-commitally, "Much as I wanted you to be my sister, I knew it would kill you to lose Keith. And I wasn't nearly as convinced as Duncan by Mom's little show-and-tell session. Also I needed your help with Logan, so... I guess I was hedging my bets. I would have told you eventually, when all other avenues had been exhausted, when I was sure. It was never a plan to deceive you. It was just... Bad timing. And it turns out I didn't really know you either. All these years, I just wasn't paying close enough attention."

Veronica huffs indignantly, "What do you mean by that?"

Lily drawls patiently, "I mean that I always knew you were a tough chick underneath the sundresses and pink lip gloss, I just didn't realize that extended to stealing my boyfriend..."

Veronica's angry bark of a laugh explodes out into the air, her eyes bugging out of her head, but Lily waves her protestations away.

"Fine, fine. I guess it is a bit rich to claim him as my boyfriend even after that whole Aaron thing. I just can't believe I didn't see it, that's all," says Lily pleasantly as she taps her chin contemplatively.

"THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE!" Veronica hisses out in a stage whisper. "It's not like that between me and Logan. The fact that I didn't want you to crush his soul does not mean I'm in love with him. We're just friends. Old-fashioned, non-psychopathic friends who do not plot to sleep with each other's family members."

Lily scoffs, "Of course not. As you pointed out, that's more of a couples activity. But I sure don't kiss any of MY male friends that way."

Veronica spits back sullenly, "That's because you don't have any male friends, just dudes you haven't slept with yet!

Veronica's jaw is set defiantly, but her brow clouds with confusion at Lily's sudden laughter. They're getting disapproving looks from the librarian, so Veronica grabs Lily's arm and hauls her out into the hallway.

Lily wipes her eyes as she finally get her giggles under control. "Well," she says, "You two have my blessing anyways."

Veronica just looks put out, "There is nothing for you to bless. And even if there was, we wouldn't need your permission!"

Lily fairly grins, "Exactly! Good for you!"

Veronica's fury finally peaks, "Lily! Shut up! There's nothing there!"

Lily just shrugs with a small smile. "You're wrong."

Veronica's fury abates somewhat, but it's been replaced by panic. "What do you mean I'm wrong? I'm not wrong! I think I would know whether or not I was in love with Logan!"

Lily nods consideringly, "You really would think so, right? I mean you're so smart about so many other things..."

Veronica stumbles over her words, failing to complete whole thoughts. "I don't even... Lily, Logan doesn't think that way about... You're just so, SO far off base. This is ridiculous, I'm not even his type!"

Lily scoffs, her arms crossed over his chest, "Oh yeah, he never goes for hot blonde card sharks who know all his favorite hangover remedies and hate his father. No, you're right, why on earth would he be interested in you?"

Veronica shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts, "Lily..."

"I saw that kiss." Lily says with quiet finality, "And, God, his face... He never looked at me like that," she says with something a little like regret, or even jealousy. But then she shakes it off, bombastic, "Thank God. I NEVER would have been rid of him."

Veronica looks at her friend skeptically, "And I'm supposed to believe that you're okay with this?"

Lily nods, fervently, "Oh come on, better you than me. I admit, I was not immediately sold on the idea. Even though I knew I could never love him like he wanted, the attention and the want... It was addicting. But in the end I want you guys to be happy, and even more than that I want the Fab Four again. I miss that. I miss us."

"And Duncan?" asked Veronica, her voice tentative.

"Duncan will survive. It may take awhile, but he'll be fine. And maybe he'll find someone who actually IS quiet, and gentle, and demure, and not packing 100,000 volts," Lily says confidently.

Veronica stands awkwardly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself and her fingers biting tightly into her flesh as she grips her elbows. "You're wrong," she says, apparently to the floor. "You're wrong about Logan. He's still wrapped up in you, and even if he wasn't I'm not..."

Lily tosses her head in annoyance, losing patience with the whole conversation. "Fine, I'm wrong. You're so certain, I guess I'd have to defer to you. But you should probably find out for sure."

"Yeah," Veronica says, once again to the floor, "I suppose I should find out for sure..."

**A/N: When I started this fic, I was really excited about the possibility of getting 100 reviews. But then when I hit 100, I got all excited about the possibility of getting 200! Because we as humans are never satisfied! Still, I'd hate to shill for reviews without giving you something in return. So, anyone who reviews (and allows PMs or makes some other arrangement with me) will get a small preview of the final chapter. Small like three or four paragraphs, small. Like 300-500 words small. Pretty small. But available if you are interested!**


	12. Chapter 12: I Want You to Want Me

**TITLE: His Friend Too**

**AUTHOR: arbailey**

**WORD COUNT: 3,707**

**RATING: PG-13 for language**

**SUMMARY: When Veronica catches her best friend and an aging action hero together, everything falls apart.**

**SPOILERS: Pre-series that quickly goes AU but does spoil the 1st season Lilly/Aaron storyline**

**DISCLAIMER:** **I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars, and this story is written as a tribute only.**

**A/N: The good news- it only took me two weeks to get this chapter out. The potentially bad depending on how much you enjoyed this story - this is the last one. I hope you have enjoyed the ride as much as I have. Thanks so much to all of you who reviewed and followed and favorited! You guys made this an incredible first fic experience.**

**Chapter 12: I Want You to Want Me**

In her quick exit from lunch, Veronica didn't see Logan's own hasty departure. If she had, she might not have been so surprised that he was absent from journalism. She's quick to convince herself she's happy about that. She has no desire to get into a big heavy conversation in front of a whole classroom of people interested in getting into her business. Even worse, a journalism class. The school district sponsored gossip mongers.

So as she walks out to her car feeling the psychic prickles of all the students staring at her, she is struggling to maintain her confidence. Once he was a no-show for class, she had written off seeing him on school grounds. But she had expected some sign of him though. A voicemail. A text. He's apparently run to ground. She'll have to find him.

He's not at the beach, which is the first place she checks. And somehow, that floors her. He should be right there, half a mile away, tucked up against a dune. But he's not there, and then she feels like an idiot, for having imagined they have this secret, beach-based code between them. They don't have anything between them.

Actually, scratch that. They do have something between them. A girl, one Lily Kane, who is a terrible, TERRIBLE judge of appropriate emotional responses. Why on Earth is she listening to Lily now!? Maybe - just maybe- it's a bad idea to take relationship advice from the same girl who came up with the foolproof relationship exit strategy of sleeping with her boyfriend's father...

But she keeps looking. Sort of. The Echolls and Kane mansions are more or less on the drive home, and she drives by slowly, looking through the gates for the bright yellow flash that announces Logan's vehicular presence. But she doesn't see anything, and she gets all self -conscious. If she gets pulled over by the Balboa County Sherriff's department for loitering suspiciously outside her tax bracket she will die of shame.

But Logan is not in any of the places she can legitimately look for him. He might be at some dive bar, the Styx or something, but the sheriff's daughter is not particularly welcome at such dens of iniquity. She does the next best thing and checks Rest Stop 15, a place she wasn't even aware existed until a helpful pothead told her about it when he mistook her search for Logan as a search for weed. Nada. Of course, he may have bolted for the border -again. And good old Uncle Kevin, Keith's ex-partner and current head of the department of the Chula Vista border station, will undoubtedly scoop her up within a mile of the border if she attempts to cross without a head's up from her dad.

So still sitting in her car and trying to decide where to go next, she calls his cell, unsurprised when it goes directly to voicemail. She listens to Logan blithely say, "You've reached Logan and here is today's inspirational message: The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference - Eli Wiesel." She drops the phone with a sigh and slumps down in her seat, letting her forehead rest on her steering wheel. She. Is. Such. An. Idiot.

Logan is still hung up on Lily. Obviously. He sure as hell isn't indifferent to her... Two days after the whole Aaron tasing incident they were making out in the hall! Lily is just pushing her at Logan as another distraction. And she nearly bought it! And why? Because she's lonely and pathetic and sad, and Logan is the only person who has been halfway decent to her. So Lilly knew Veronica would cling to him like the co-dependent little limpet she was. And - oh God- even Logan can tell what a desperate loser she is. He'll just keep ducking her as long as he can so he doesn't have to deal with her.

By the time she's made it home, she has worked up a pretty good head of steam. Screw Lily, and screw Duncan, and screw Logan. Especially Logan, actually, because she doesn't need his pity, damn it. So fine. She's over the whole thing. When he calls, IF he calls, she'll be so goddamned cheerful and friendly that he will feel like a dick for imagining that she was pining away for him.

So it's not until she actually parks her car that she recognizes that she has company. There's a big yellow SUV parked across the street.

* * *

><p>His first stop is The River Styx and their selectively blind bartender. His discovery of the morally flexible drinking establishment six months ago had dramatically decreased the difficulty of acquiring sufficient quantities of alcohol, and while he occasionally misses the thrill he felt with each minor heist from his father's liquor cabinet, The Styx more than makes up in quantity what it lacks in quality. Forty bucks is a lot to pay for what is- after all- cheap well vodka, but it is also A LOT of cheap vodka, and you can't put a price on convenience. While Aaron knows exactly how much of the 25 year-old Laphroaig he has left down to the milliliter, he's notoriously hands-off with his children's spending. And Logan is more than willing to blow his father's money on getting magnificently drunk.<p>

From there he's driving to Dog Beach because a couple of innocent drinks in the sand under the warm California sun? That's just teenage hijinks. On the other hand, drinking at home, the curtains closed tightly while you do your best to ignore the muttered Spanish curses of the household staff? That's part of a Disturbing Pattern of Self-Destructive Behavior with Potential Indications of Alcoholism. And while getting that lecture from his lush mother and her prescription drug-pushing psychiatrist is an absolute barrel of ironic laughs, he's going to skip it just this once.

Camped out of the way behind a dune and entirely alone on the beach, Logan can admit to himself that he is not handling Veronica's news particularly well. He should be happy for her, and truly he is. He admires and fears Keith in a way that he's only seen from children in sitcoms from the 50's. And he knows how important Veronica's relationship with her dad is. So, yes, on that level he is unflinchingly happy for Veronica. The problem is just that he is far _more_ unhappy for himself. Because despite what he'd told Duncan, the kiss hadn't felt like a defibrillator shock to the brain, like a passionless attempt to jumpstart his consciousness. It had felt like a kiss, like a REAL kiss, like a beginning.

But that beginning was predicated on Duncan being out of the picture, safely tucked away in the Brother Zone – a fortress far more impenetrable than the Friend Zone. The guilt he felt over his interest in Veronica had been at least partially mitigated by the belief that Duncan was her brother. After all, lusting after your best friend's ex was kind of fucked up, but it was far, FAR less fucked up then lusting after your recently-discovered half sister. But Duncan's not her brother, he's her ex-boyfriend, and that ex designation… Well, it's a thing of the past. With Veronica confirmed as a Mars, there is nothing to keep the erstwhile lovebirds apart any longer.

The way Duncan had jumped up and chased her like an overgrown puppy spoke volumes. Hell, his own stunted conversations with his best friend had made it clear that Duncan believed that he and Veronica were completely and irretrievably over, but they had also made it clear how miserable Duncan was over that fact. And Veronica's relentless interrogations, begging for a reason behind Duncan's sudden and inexplicable freeze-out, showed that she was still equally stuck on the guy.

It isn't until this moment that Logan realizes he is hiding from her. Because if he doesn't talk to her, doesn't congratulate her on the good fortune of being born a Mars, he can pretend that there is still a possibility that he ends up with the girl. And she will be coming, of that much he is sure. She will search him out like the junior detective she is, and she'll be all rosy-cheeked and happy that order has been restored to her life, and she'll expect him to share in her joy. He can't do it. And the moment he realizes he's hiding, he realizes that the beach is a TERRIBLE place to hide. It will be the first place she looks. Because he has become painfully predictable. A quick glance at his watch tells him that he has no more than fifteen minutes before Veronica comes screaming into the parking lot with her good news, so he grabs his half empty bottle and jets back to the Xterra.

He was wrong about the fifteen minutes though. In the rear view mirror, he watches her pull into the lot while idling at a stop sign in an inconspicuous spot a couple blocks up. It only took her five. But it'll take her at least ten minutes to search the sand to her satisfaction, so he has a little time before she's on the move again. As he drives absently around Neptune, he tries to come up with a really good hiding spot. He pulls over for a minute, willing his brain into coming up with an idea of where to go. It is only then that he realizes that he has actually driven straight to Casa Mars. He parks and lets out a great sigh. His head falls back against the headrest with a thump. He closes his eyes, pained. Well, his subconscious has spoken. Time to face the music. He settles deeper into his seat and tries to come up with something that will come off as halfway genuine when he ultimately has to talk to her.

In his mind's eye, he can see her blue eyes sparkling and a small, sly smile quirking her lips. "Logan," she whispers playfully, her cheeks flushed. He meditates on that image for awhile, a contented little smile playing on his own lips.

* * *

><p>"LOGAN!" She screams, slapping her palms against the passenger side window. His eyes pop open as he blinks across at her blearily and then glances at his watch. Over an hour has passed. She actually DOES look pretty flushed, but the similarities end there. She looks pissed off. Really pissed off. She wrenches the door open and throws herself unceremoniously into the seat beside him before slamming the door shut. Last time she did that, the night ended in a kiss that wrung him dry, but it's not looking good for a repeat tonight. Her eyes flit to the partially consumed bottle of vodka, and her expression actually gets darker.<p>

"You're drunk?" she hisses out in astonished anger. Which is dumb, because it's not like drinking is somehow out of character for him. But Logan, never overly patient to begin with, is feeling a little bit defensive. She's had an awesome day. She's got her life back in order, once again one half of a golden couple. And what does he have? Not Lily, even though he's kind of okay with that. Not Veronica, even though he's not okay with that at all. He's got nothing but Duncan left. And since he's got some pretty serious resentment issues with his best friend right now, it's safe to say they won't be tying any more friendship bracelets for a while. And his head is pounding with achy, definitive proof that she is wrong.

"I'm not drunk," he groans, " I'm hung-over. There's an important distinction, Ronnie," he mutters as he rubs his temples with outstretched fingers, his eyes shut tightly.

"What's the deal Logan? Ducking me? Hiding? Why?" She mutters through clenched teeth, each phrase spit out and punctuated with spite.

For a flash he feels guilty. She's right, he was avoiding her, and it's going to be tough to explain why if they want to maintain even the illusion of a friendship. But then he remembers where they are, and his problems are solved.

"Oh yeah, I was avoiding YOU. By going to YOUR HOUSE," his arms cross over his chest in triumph. He breathes a little easier when he sees her pause, and her anger recedes a little.

She slumps against the seatback and curls up a little, her knees pulled in tight. "Why were you so mad at me? Why could you forgive Lily and not me?" Her voice is slow and clear when she says it, only a hint of tightness in her tone. But it might have well been said as a blubbery wail for the way it hits Logan.

He's not sure how to answer. Lily's betrayal had been incredibly painful. But it had not been entirely unexpected. He'd had to work pretty hard to ignore Lily's habitual infidelity by the end. But the idea of Veronica being in on a plot like that made him sick to his stomach. And even after she had been absolved of any wrongdoing, he couldn't stand her pity. It was far easier to avoid her, even blame her, than it was to talk to her. He had visions of breaking down in front of her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist while he sobbed into her stomach as she watched him slack jawed and at a loss. It was unthinkably pitiful.

And she already thought him plenty pitiful. But she deserved an answer.

He lets go of a deep sigh. "I don't know. At first I was just out of it, you know, incredibly angry and not at all rational. I was just generally mad, and you happened to be in the crosshairs. But after I talked to Lily, I just couldn't face you." Her expression darkens again, and he rushes to continue. "I was an asshole, as you so colorfully pointed out, and I couldn't think of a way to fix things. God, I can't explain this in anyway that'll makes sense to you."

Veronica's eyes blaze, "Yeah, because I have no idea what its like to have one of the Kanes suddenly decide to utterly annihilate you, out of nowhere. No, I have no experience with that at all."

Logan shakes his head, exasperated. "It's more than that. You're so in control, so pulled together. I'm not like that. I knew that if I talked to you, you would finally realize how unsalvageable I was. You'd see that not only was I a dick in this particular instance, but that I was, in fact, always a dick. And you would be done with me. And I couldn't handle that. Still can't."

Veronica sighs, deeply weary, "Logan…"

But he doesn't let her say anything, hurrying through, "And then you kissed me, and that made everything so much worse. Suddenly your friendship was only a piece of this incredible thing I would be losing. It was everything. It was all of you. Everything we already had, and everything we might someday have."

He swallows thickly, but this time she doesn't object. She's just staring at him with round horrified eyes. His heart contracts painfully, and he quickly backpedals. He laughs thinly, self-conscious, "Fuck, I sound like a freak. Don't worry, it doesn't… I don't expect… It's fine- it's nothing. I know it wasn't like that for you. And I know you're back with Duncan."

His head lolls back, and his eyes shut tightly. There, he said it. Now he just has to wait for her to tell him how sorry she is in contrite tones. Now he just has to wait until he doesn't feel ripped apart by the fact that she's with Duncan. It shouldn't take more than a year… He feels like he has had the wind knocked out of him.

It takes him a moment to realize that it's at least partially because Veronica has catapulted herself into his lap.

* * *

><p>She's wrapped one hand in the soft, short hair at the nape of his neck, and she pulls it a bit as she hoists herself up into a pretty seriously aggressive kiss. It would definitely hurt if his endorphins weren't already running so high. His hands grasp her hips instinctively as her tongue slips out and against his mouth, and he hungrily returns her kiss.<p>

"I'm not with Duncan," she says solemnly when she finally pulls back from the kiss several minutes later.

"Good," says Logan with an idiotic grin, "Because this," as he gestures back and forth between them rapidly, "would DEFINITELY piss him off."

"But…" he continues as her forehead wrinkles a little in discomfort and Logan regrets saying anything at all. Somehow he can't stop his mouth- and it is an important question. "Why aren't you with Duncan?"

She falls against him, her eyes hidden behind a fringe of blonde hair. "He broke my heart because he didn't feel he could trust me with the truth. He made decisions for me about I did and did not have a right to know. He didn't know me at all…"

"No making decisions for Veronica, check. Always tell Veronica as much of the truth as possible, check." Logan marks off on his fingers, the stupid grin back again.

She scowls at him a bit, "That doesn't SOUND like full disclosure."

He simply shrugs and says, "Hey, forewarned is forearmed. But I have to keep a BIT of my mystique…"

She glances at him with a raised eyebrow, but his grin just gets bigger. She scoffs at him in mock annoyance, blushing a little uncomfortably, "Stop smiling at me like that, kid. You're making me nervous."

Logan barks loudly in laughter, "I make YOU nervous? You tased my dad!"

Veronica grumbles darkly, "Oh, he more than deserved it…"

Logan plants a chaste kiss on her temple, "And I love you for it…"

She stiffens almost instantaneously, and Logan inwardly curses his big, stupid mouth. It is way, WAY too early to be telling her that, even if he thinks it might be true.

Veronica pulls away from him, although she doesn't move back to her own seat, and Logan preemptively catches her around the waist. "That came out wrong," Logan says quickly. "I find you immensely interesting and entertaining. I love you like I love surfing. Or Halo."

"Wow. Like Halo. Thanks, Master Chief," she mutters sarcastically. "Glad I have so much to offer. Why do you even want to be with me?"

Logan groans pitifully and pulls her unyielding form back against his chest, "Oh I don't know… Because you're beautiful and smart, and you don't give a shit about how much money I have, you REALLY hate my dad, and you take such amazing care of me, and…"

"But you don't love me, right?" Veronica interrupts with a certain lightness to her tone.

"Okay, this feels very much like a trap…" Logan says eying her warily.

"And this isn't just about getting back at Lily, right?" she continues, far more seriously, turning back to face him, straddling his lap. "Or some insanely elaborate joke between the two of you at my expense?"

"No. Never," Logan says fiercely, flatly, and without hesitation. "Never, never, never," he whispers, punctuating each word with a kiss behind one ear, then the other, and ending on deep kiss plundering her mouth.

Satisfied, Veronica pulls away from his kiss and shifts in his arms. She kneels above him, her hands gripped tight around the headrest of his seat, and leans in close to hiss in his ear, "Good. Because I swear to God, if Lily's in the backseat waiting to dump pig's blood on me, they will never find either of your bodies."

Leaning up to lay a series of soft kisses down the long column of her throat, Logan's throaty chuckle is somewhat muffled, "God you're hot when you're making terrifying threats."

Veronica's voice is a bit breathy when she says, "I think we should keep this on the downlow for awhile. Let things cool a bit."

Logan shrugs his acceptance and smiles a little ferally. "Well, secrets are kinda hot too," he says, going in for another searing kiss.

The car door bursts opens and both are temporarily blinded by the bright beam of a flashlight. "Yeah, secrets are fun, hunh?" says Keith, his grin too wide not to be unsettling.

"Hiya Pops!" Veronica says cheerfully from her perch on Logan's lap.

"Sherriff…" says Logan, far less exuberantly.

"Honey," says Keith, smilingly, "Why don't you head into the house. I need to speak to Logan for just a moment."

Veronica leans close to Logan and says in a stage whisper, "You'll be fine. But remember, like a velociraptor, he can smell fear. I'll call you when you get home." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek and bounces out of his lap for the safety of the house.

Both men watch her walk back to the door and refuse to look at each other.

"So this is the part where you tell me that if I hurt her, you'll kill me right?" Logan says, feigning a confidence he doesn't actually feel.

"Oh, Logan," Keith chuckles kindly, "You've seen too many movies. But, yeah. I will drop you in the Carrizo Badlands, stake you out, and let the coyotes have you. It shouldn't take more than three or four days."

"That's frighteningly specific," Logan replies approvingly.

"I've been working out the details since she was four," Keith admits. "Well," he continues, clapping his hands, "Good talk. I imagine I'll being seeing you around. You have a nice evening, Logan."

"You too, Sherriff," Logan replies sincerely as he starts the Xterra, watching Veronica give him a small wave from the living room window. Not even her terrifying though admirable father can prevent the warm, contented shiver that rolls up through his stomach and then out through his limbs, appearing on his face as a soft smile. And for the first time in a very, VERY long time, Logan can't think of anything to be unhappy about.

**A/N: The End. Hope it didn't disappoint. I do intend to come back to these characters, and in fact, I was considering doing a short follow-up on our favorite couple just few months down the road in their relationship. Spoiler alert: Logan and Veronica have a misunderstanding! Can you imagine? I was planning something significantly more lemony than this fic, but I may scale that back a bit in respect of 's rules. Any takers? Let me know. Review for tasteful physical affection! Oh dear, that just sounds tawdry... Anyway, suffice it to say that I will definitely be back with more VM fics. If you're interested in reading those, please follow me as an author :) FUN FACT: My grandfather worked for the Border Patrol at Chula Vista back in the Sixties. His name is not Kevin.**


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